Behind the Mask
by PaintingMusic14
Summary: Maya Hart is a natural born rebel. She doesn't care what anybody thinks and isn't afraid to take risks. So, why is she acting so strange?
1. It All Started With Braces

**_Author's Note: This is my first Girl Meets World fanfic, and I'm really excited! Would love comments, criticisms, and reviews! I will try to update as often as possible! Thanks for reading! (Edited by Chereche!)_**

 ** _If any of you are reading this and you haven't already read this story, here is a warning for y'all: I began writing this in July 2016 and my writing improved SO much that's it's not even funny (this happens around Chapter 31 after I took a long hiatus and spent time on another story, where I slowly improved). So, my point is this: please give this story a chance despite the mediocre writing you find for the first 20-30 chapters, because I would really appreciate it. And it gets better, haha. Yeah, I'm currently writing this in March 2017, and I just re-read this first chapter. Thank you to those who read all of this! :) Enjoy!_**

 ** _UPDATED: 10-21-2016_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!_**

* * *

Chapter One: It All Started With Braces

Maya had always had confidence; no matter what life threw at her. It was mostly because she had learned that she couldn't do anything to prevent the hurt, so it was better to fake it until she could make it. And, up until Shawn had offered to buy her new clothes, she hadn't cared or thought much about her appearance either.

Until today.

Maya tried to hide it by walking normally and she had even slipped on a pair of heels to seem taller, and thus, more powerful. But she knew she couldn't hide it forever, especially with her quickly approaching friends. Maya turned around and pretended to be occupied with her school books.

"Maya! Why weren't you there this morning?!" Riley cried, running to her.

"Where?" She asked, ensuring that her head was still firmly inside her locker.

"My house to pick me up," Riley said, and Maya could tell that she was pouting.

"I had to—pick something up," Maya lied, still pretending to rummage through the shelves.

"But we haven't seen each other since 4:30 after school yesterday, which was—" Riley paused, turning to Farkle who, with the rest of their group, had caught up to them.

"Approximately 16 hours, 5 minutes, and 26 seconds ago!" He piped up, shrugging as if the information he had calculated was obvious.

"That has to be longest amount of time you two have _ever_ spent apart!" Zay mocked.

Riley didn't take the hint and agreed with him. "Yes! And I don't like it!"

"I'm sorry, honey. It will never happen again." Maya laughed.

"Good," she said, relieved.

"Okay, what are you looking for, Short Stack?" Lucas asked, raising his eyebrows. "You were in the locker _before_ we got here."

"Nothing, just...reorganizing." She cringed at her lame attempt at an excuse, but they seemed to buy it if the way they all laughed was anything to go by.

"Yeah, okay," Lucas said dismissively, and Maya yelped in surprise as she saw his hand reach out in her peripheral vision. She barely had time to avoid getting her head smashed as he closed the door.

"Well, you don't _look_ like you've committed any crimes," Lucas said, searching her face teasingly. "But what are you hiding?"

Maya rolled her eyes and folded her arms, refusing to speak. There was no way she was going to let them see it for as long as she could help it.

"What? Nothing to say?" Lucas mocked, although his face showed his surprise at her silence.

"Oh, no!" Riley lamented, as she moved to her side and hugged her in sympathy. "You lost your voice, Peaches!"

The group of friends looked at her in disbelief, much to Riley's confusion.

"How could she have lost her voice?" Farkle asked.

"She was _just_ talking to us!" Zay added and shook his head at the ridiculous statement.

"Oh, yeah." Riley said and pulled herself away from her friend.

"So, what's going on, Maya?" Lucas asked seriously.

Maya ignored him, and instead started to flip through her Geography book, hoping they'd actually shut up for once and leave her alone.

"Oh, man." Zay looked at Lucas. "It came to _that._ She's _reading_ man. Whatever you did, it had to be bad! What _did_ you do?"

"Nothing!" He threw up his hands defensively. "I never do anything remember?"

The group's attention turned to Riley then. "Hey, don't look at me!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, come on!" Farkle protested a moment later when they looked to him.

Maya was fed up with their annoying argument and nosiness though and so she started to leave. She didn't get far; she felt Lucas's arms around her as he picked her up and brought her back. Again, much to everyone's surprise, she didn't argue back as was the norm; instead, she only wriggled in protest.

"This is a new one; the silent treatment." Farkle remarked, as if he were analyzing a new scientific phenomenon.

"Yah, except we didn't do anything wrong that we know of." Zay pointed out.

"So, it has to do with _Maya_." Riley confirmed.

"Hmm." The gang tried to figure it out, while Maya continued to roll her eyes and watch the clock hoping for the bell to be her reprieve since Lucas seemed prepared to not let her get away.

"Wait a minute!" Riley's eyes, previously closed as she concentrated, popped open. "She's wearing her _high_ heels."

"Which she only does when she's especially self-conscious about something," Farkle agreed. "And, it's usually physical."

Zay and Lucas stared at their friends in mild disbelief.

"Do they do this often?" Zay whispered.

"Yah, they're kind of like modern Sherlock Holmes' when it comes to people they really care about." Lucas answered, shaking his head.

"Okay, Sherlocks," Zay said, before he chuckled at the reference. "One; I'm apparently going to need to be careful what I do from now on, because you can figure things out way too easily, and two; I don't see anything that different about her."

Riley came closer to her, looking her open with exaggerated thoroughness that caused Maya to raise an eyebrow in return.

"Why wouldn't you tell me, Peaches?" Riley protested.

Maya looked down at the ground, letting her long, blonde hair obscure her face in lieu of a response. Where was that darn bell? "Sorry?" she muttered, not sure if Riley had really guessed it or was just trying to trick her into revealing what it was was different with her.

"Oh, now I know what it is." Farkle declared with a nod. Maya lifted her head enough to glare at him. With his usual annoying attention to the smallest of details and actions, he had finally put two and two together and had figured her out.

"Will someone please explain it to us normals?" Lucas said with slight irritation, still looking at her.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, as he forcibly pulled up her head, ignoring her glare.

"She got braces!" Riley said, clapping.

Maya shook her head, trying to refute their words, but Zay was actually curious and brazen enough to reach out and actually open her mouth to find out. They caught a glimpse of the unwanted braces before she snapped at Zay's hand.

"Feisty." He complained, holding his fingers defensively to his chest.

"This is about braces? Maya, it's not a big deal!" Lucas told her, trying not to laugh along with the rest of his friends.

"What's so funny?" Maya spat, her temper boiling. They were laughing at her; the braces must look even more horrible than she had originally thought.

"The fact that you're trying to hide something so normal! Come on, where's the feisty girl that doesn't care what anybody else says?" Farkle said, attempting to comfort her.

Maya didn't have an answer to that so she just made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, and stalked off, her heels clicking furiously.

Zay whistled as he took in her obvious aggression. "Man, if I didn't know Lucas, that girl would be the scariest thing I've ever seen."

"I don't get it." Riley said, sounding hurt. "Why's she's acting so weird?"

"It's just braces!" Zay agreed. "Lots of people have them."

"It's Maya," Lucas said, as if that explained everything. "But don't worry too much about it Riley," he said to reassure her. "It will all work itself out."

"But that's the thing; she's _not_ acting like Maya." Farkle countered. "She wouldn't let something like this bother her."

"Yah, I know." Lucas said thoughtfully.

Farkle was right. There really was something odd with Maya's behavior today, but what was the cause of it?

* * *

"Are you mad at me?" Riley asked, concerned.

"No, Riles," Maya said, taking a tray from the counter.

"Then what's going on with you?" she inquired, following Maya into the lunch line.

"Nothing, okay?" she snapped, aggravated by the continuous questions. Then, noting Riley's wounded expression, she backtracked a bit, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry...I just don't like this."

"No one _likes_ braces, Peaches," Riley said, chuckling a little bit. "But there's something else too...I mean, why wouldn't you talk to us about it?"

"Nope, nothing else," Maya said with finality, closing the conversation.

They were silent as they finished grabbing their lunch, and sat down at their usual table. Riley looked at her friend's plate in disbelief. "Is that all you're eating?" she half-demanded. "Are you sick?"

Maya glanced down at her applesauce and slice of bread. "No, I'm just not hungry," she said. Her stomach growled in protest just then, highlighting her lie.

Riley giggled despite her confusion. "Do you want some of mine?" she asked, moving to transfer some of the food on her tray. "You would do it for me."

Maya shook her head.

"Okay, I can get you some of your own, then," Riley said cheerfully. She started to get up, but the blonde grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"It's the stupid braces, okay?" Maya said frustrated. "I can barely eat _this_."

"They don't let you eat?" Riley asked in astonishment.

Maya rolled her eyes, but smiled despite herself at Riley's reaction. "I can eat honey, but my mouth is just super sore right now. I literally can't chew anything. I'm not really sure I can manage the bread."

The rest of their friends showed up then, all carrying full trays. Lucas sat down next to Maya, his face full of concern as he looked at her sparse selection.

"Okay, I know you're mad at us, but not eating isn't a good form of comfort."

She shot him an annoyed look.

"Or revenge...whichever it is." Lucas finished with a sigh.

"It's not revenge, Huckleberry," she snapped, and the tension among then that had raised with his statement relaxed considerably at the nickname. "It's just my braces."

"Her mouth is super sore, and she can't eat," Riley added.

"Well, that is just too bad, because for once, these tacos are extremely delicious!" Zay said and took a huge bite of his overflowing taco. "I mean seriously, I'm gonna have like 5."

Lucas and Farkle glared at Zay for his inconsiderateness, but Maya took a more direct approach and reached across the table to take a fistful of his shirt and pull him close.

"You know what I think?" she asked, waiting until he shot her an indifferent look, still chewing. "I'm sure that the taco would look a lot better on your _face_." Her words were nonchalant, luring him into false security before just grabbed the remainder of his taco with her free hand and proceeded to smear it on his face and hair.

"Maya!" Farkle groaned as he put his head in his hands.

She ignored him, and took up another, this time dropping it inside his shirt, and crushing it with her hands.

"Okay, Shortstack, that's enough," Lucas said, as he pulled her away, her hands dripping with taco fillings.

"Oh, what? You're jealous?" Maya mocked, waving her messy hands in his face.

"What-" Lucas began in confusion, leaning away from her as her fingers got a bit too close.

Maya grinned and took Farkle's taco off his tray, and smashed it over Lucas's head. "Did you want some?"

The whole cafeteria went silent then, all conversations ceasing as people from around the room looked toward their table, taking in what had happened.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Riley asked in a hushed, fearful whisper as the atmosphere of the room changed.

"Rules state that once a single person has thrown, smashed, or smeared food on or at more than one person in the span of 2 minutes, an all out food fight is acceptable," Farkle added, his eyes wide.

"Oh, come on. Like anyone has, or for that matter, follows rules about-" Maya stated, rolling her eyes, although her own tone was a bit uncomfortable as she realized that they were indeed the center of attention.

"Food fight!" someone shouted and she realized that, yeah, Farkle was right.

Chaos ensued.

The lunch ladies and few teachers present were no match for the hundreds of high schoolers throwing food at anything that moved. Lucas and Zay's first act was to crown Maya queen of the food – after all, she deserved a taste of her own medicine. Maya saw it coming, and proceeded to grab a random plate of mashed potatoes. She backed away, looking to Riley for support. Unfortunately for her, Riley and Farkle were preoccupied in their own war with Smackle who had dumped a bowl of thankfully lukewarm soup on her boyfriend's head.

"Okay, you know what?" Maya hedged, continuing to back up slowly as the two boys advanced with trays filled with food and evil grins. "Revenge is never the best option."

The boys laughed, and Lucas listed off the things wrong with what she just said. "One, you're one to talk, and two, since when do you back down from a fight?"

"Never," she agreed. Maya's eyes held a mischievous glint as she suddenly rushed the boys. Unfortunately, they weren't as surprised as she had hoped.

"That's cute." Zay cooed as he easily took Maya's potatoes out of her hands, while Lucas snagged her wrists with his free hand to prevent her from escaping.

"Riley!" She screeched, but couldn't help herself from laughing at the pure ridiculousness of the situation.

The boys smirked just before dumping the trays on top of Maya, who gasped and sputtered as sauces blinded her, slimy vegetables slipped down her shirt, and chocolate pudding made its way into her now brown-blonde hair. Zay added his final touch by crushing a taco and covering her with it, while Lucas contributed by adding a small cherry on the top of her head.

"Perfect." Zay nodded, smiling evilly.

Maya licked her lips, and cracked her knuckles, watching with satisfaction as the boy's smiles faded as they took in her countenance.

"What have we done?" Lucas whispered fearfully.

"Why you smiling at us all pretty?" Zay chuckled nervously, echoing Farkle's words from eighth grade.

"So the last thing you ever see is something nice," she said, her tone overly cheerful as she reached for a plate of stuffed burritos off a next table.

"Dude, that's like our tacos on steroids!" Zay said, noting the size of it. The pair started to run.

For anyone else watching, it was a pretty funny sight; a small, blonde girl screaming as she chased after two pale faced, tall boys who were scrambling to escape her presence.

Observing them, Riley smiled broadly and said with relief "Maya's fine now. She's back," seconds before someone dumped jelly on her head. Growling, she grabbed a handful of the nearest thing she could find and turned her attention towards her attacker.

* * *

"This is a new one, Ms. Hart," the principal said as he folded his hands and stared at the aforementioned girl.

"Really? I could've sworn I started that "mystery meat rebellion" back at John Adams," she responded, furrowing her brow.

Mr. Douglas rubbed his forehead in impatience as he continued. "Don't you think you're a little old to start a food fight?"

"With all due respect, sir," Maya replied, leaning back in her chair, and, giving into temptation put her feet up on the desk as well, "I didn't know about the "rules", it was just meant for my friends."

He pushed her feet off his table, and glared at the irresponsible girl that was staring defiantly back at him. "Ms. Hart, the point is that you shouldn't have played with your food at all. You are 15 years old, and you need to begin to take some responsibility in your life."

Her face darkened slightly. "I have enough responsibilities, sir and I take care of them just fine."

Mr. Douglas sighed. "I'm referring to school Ms. Hart. I don't think I need to tell you that you have one more chance before you face suspension."

"How does what I did warrant a suspension?" she demanded, briefly stumbling over "warrant". She had glanced it on her mother's word a day calendar, and it seemed that she had unconsciously memorized it. "And besides, I wasn't the only one involved."

"But, you did start it," he said bluntly. "Every student in that lunchroom will spend the afternoon cleaning up the mess caused. A mess created because of _your_ actions. And like I said before, you need to take responsibility for things. This isn't your first time here by any stretch Ms. Hart. Consider this your final warning before you are suspended."

"It was just a food fight." Maya muttered.

"The food that was wasted together cost money Ms. Hart. The janitor will still have to sanitize the room even after the students finish cleaning, not to mention the lunch ladies who slaved over your lunch and the teachers who were caught in the cross-fire."

"Do you want money or something?" Maya asked, aggravated, stopping her principal from rambling.

"No, Ms. Hart. What I want from you is a change in attitude, a change in behavior. Hopefully some time in detention will give you some perspective, perhaps community service as well. I will be contacting your parent once I have finalized my decision regarding you."

"Yes, Mr. Douglas," she grumbled, hoping the conversation was over.

He nodded for her to go, and she stood as she walked to the door and opened it. Immediately she spotted Riley at the end of the hallway waiting for her.

" Ms. Hart."

She turned around to stare at the man looking at her gravely.

"Don't forget that this is your last chance. Next time it will be suspension." Mr. Douglas reminded solemnly.

Maya didn't bother to respond, and simply closed the door. Riley ran to her friend, and hugged her awkwardly, wary of the food still covering her. She had been given a chance to brush some of the stuff off, but hadn't gotten the opportunity like Riley to change into something else. She crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Finish cleaning?" she asked, noting the books in her hand.

"Mr. Charles pulled us out to take our test. I'm going back after," she explained. "Anyway, It's not fair that you have to take the blame, Peaches," she huffed.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Maya asked wryly.

"No…maybe a little." she admitted. "But it wasn't hard to figure out. You were the only one who got dragged to the principal's office."

"Yeah well nobody hesitated to point me out," she grumbled, recalling how the principal and other teacher shad shown up, yelling over the noise and chaos to bring the room back to order. It had only taken the man asking once who was responsible for people to single her out, and, without much choice, she had had to leave with him. "Doesn't matter though," she joked. "Good news though."

"Yay! I love good news," Riley gushed happily. "What is it?"

"I probably won't see his office or this school for a while."

"They're going to suspend you?!"

Maya shrugged. "I have one more chance, so basically yes…a suspension is coming."

Riley frowned for a moment before her expression brightened again. "Oh, come on, you. The great Maya Hart doesn't have to get in trouble every day. You'll be okay."

Maya scoffed at her hopefulness. "Riles, I'm just an accident waiting to happen," she said flatly.

"What? How could you think that?" Riley reached out and stopped her from walking any further, looking at her, concerned.

Maya sighed. "Nothing, never mind," she said dismissively, before groaning as bits of food dropped from her blonde curls.

"Wait, is this the nothing else is going on?" she asked, referring to what she had said earlier. "You were so worked up about your braces before, but something else is wrong, isn't it?"

"No, I was just being silly about something completely normal," she disagreed, although from the look Riley gave her, she knew that she didn't buy it. It was obvious that the braces were still something of a sore spot for her.

"They're just braces-"

"I know, Riley." Maya said impatiently, cutting her off. "That's why I said it was silly for me to try to hide it, and to get mad at you guys for being nosy earlier."

"I'm not talking to you." Riley said, though it wasn't rude; just thoughtful. It was only then that Maya realized that she was just wondering aloud, rather than actively addressing her. Maya rolled her eyes, wishing that the brunette would just talk quietly to the little unicorn-princess-sunshine voice inside her head.

"I love you, but you're a lot of work," she said.

Riley continued on as if she never heard Maya, which she probably hadn't. "So, the sensitivity about the braces are just a side effect of whatever else is going on..."

"Riles, can you _please_ just stop being Sherlock, and let it go?" she demanded, because that right there was a bit too close to the truth.

"Oh, you!" Riley declared, laughing at the blonde's ridiculous statement.

But thankfully, for now, she didn't speak her thoughts aloud again.


	2. Friends Involve Themselves

_**Author's Note: So, I'm posting this chapter to let everyone know that I will be continuing this story. I will try to update at least once every week or two, so this is a "special" chapter as I'm posting it so quickly after the first one! Hope you enjoy it, and I would love any comments, criticisms, and reviews! Thanks for reading! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 10-23-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Two: Friends Involve Themselves

"C'mon. It'll be fun!" Riley insisted, tugging on Maya's hand.

"No, I really think it won't." She remained planted in her place, ignoring her efforts to move her.

"What can I do to get you to experience the world?" the brunette cried in exasperation.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Um, you do _remember_ that college party I had the idea to sneak out to, right?"

"It _started_ at ten," Riley reminded her as she shook her head.

Maya laughed. "Look, I hardly think going there will change my life."

"It will!"

"It's the mall!" She threw up her hands, exasperated.

"Yes," Riley declared, bouncing slightly. "I knew you'd get it!"

"Riles, I'm failing every class. I don't get it."

"Oh! We can work on that too! I was talking to Farkle, and he'd love to set up a study group with us."

"What do you mean "work on that _too_ "?" Maya asked suspiciously.

Riley took Maya's hand and led her to the bay window, knowing Maya would sit and listen better if they were at their sacred place.

"I thought maybe it would be a good idea to go shopping," she started again.

"Why?" Maya said with reluctance.

"Because, Peaches. You're having an insecurity issue, and maybe changing some of your clothes would help. You know, find clothes that you feel really good in?"

"That's what you think my problem is?" she laughed.

"Aha! So you admit you have a problem." Riley said with satisfaction.

"No…" Maya's voice lacked some of the usual confidence, but, had Riley not known her so well, she would not have been able to tell. "But where the heck did you get the insecurity idea from?"

"The whole braces thing," she answered.

"One time I do something different, and you guys jump all over me!" She ran a hand through her hair, still finding stray pieces of food in it.

"What you did wasn't necessarily different, Maya. But what you did and said definitely was not you."

"You can be so frustrating sometimes, Riles," she sighed.

Farkle popped his head inside the window, his hair damp from the recent shower he had taken after the food fight.

"Ladies."

"Farkle," they replied in unison instinctively.

"I brought friends!" He watched as Lucas climbed through the window.

Zay crouched right outside, and looked at the group of friends in disbelief. "So, you all still just climb through here?"

"Yah, come on in!" Riley waved cheerily from her spot.

"It just doesn't feel right," he grumbled, but came through anyway. After he made his reluctant journey, the rest of them stared at him, as he continued to shake his head. "All I'm saying is it's weird, man. No matter how often I do it." Zay said defensively.

"Okay, back to Maya now!" Riley sing-songed.

"No, we're done with whatever that conversation was." Maya brushed her off, and stood up.

"What's going on?" Farkle asked.

"Oh, you know us girls. Just planning on going shopping," Riley said as she smiled.

"Okay? I don't see the big deal, here," Lucas admitted, completely lost.

"Well, Maya hates the mall." The brunette grinned at her friend, who simply glared back.

"No!" Zay said, holding a hand to his heart, his face full of shock and horror.

"How much sarcasm do you have in you?" Maya sighed.

Zay got up, and crossed to her, clicking his tongue in fake disapproval. "Ms. Hart, I am the _king_ of sarcasm; I never run out of it, something you obviously should have known."

"And why should I know that?" She raised her eyebrows.

He smirked. "Why, you're the queen. Sarcasm just drips off of you like chocolate pudding."

She gave him an annoyed glare; part of it being for the reference to the very food they had dumped in her hair. It had caused her at least a half-hour of painful scrubbing.

The rest of the group watched them in amusement, but Riley was the one to change the subject once again.

"So, anyway. I'm trying to get her to go with me."

"Question. Why are you telling _us_ this?" Farkle spoke up. "How is this a big deal?"

Riley sighed in disappointment, obviously believing that her friends should have known this information. "Because, it's going to help her."

"How is it going to help, Riley?" Maya asked crossly, slouching on her friend's bed.

"The Maya I know isn't insecure, and I want to fix this before it gets bad," the brunette suddenly exclaimed.

"I'm not insecure, I'm just fine! Ask Farkle." She pointed to the boy sitting next to Riley.

"Farkle?" Riley asked innocently, already knowing the answer.

"You're dealing with insecurity, Maya," he admitted gently.

Her eyes grew bright with anger, and she tried her best to control her breathing. Why were they trying to put a label on her constantly? She hated it when her friends did this; when they judged her, and _they_ decided who she was.

"Zay? Lucas?" Maya dared them to agree with Riley.

"I'm not sure I want to get involved." Zay said nervously.

Riley looked at him. "We're all friends. You're already involved."

Her comment warmed him a little bit, even if was a cheesy feeling. He was fairly new to the group, and sometimes still wondered about his place. The fact that she would say something like that made it clear that he was accepted; it gave him the nerve to say something.

"Look, Maya. It's not a big deal. We just want to help you, especially so it doesn't get bad."

Maya stared Lucas down, daring him to disagree with her, and decide to side with the rest of her friends. He cleared his throat sheepishly, and refused to look at her as he stated that he agreed with the rest of the group.

"Okay, then. Let me get this straight. Because of _one_ day where I don't want to show you I have braces, you all of a sudden think I'm insecure? Doesn't that sound ridiculous?" Maya asked as she crossed her arms.

"Yes, and it would be if that was the only case," Lucas finally chimed in.

"Oh?" she snarled, looking at all of them. "Please tell me what else I've done?"

"Well, over the last couple of months, I haven't seen you wear flats. At all." Riley stated.

"Come on! How is that—"

"And you don't show _anyone_ your art. Or you don't know what to paint. In fact, I haven't seen you paint in a classroom in a while." Farkle pointed out.

"I paint better when it's quiet," she said defensively.

"Quiet, Ms. Penelope! You may speak when we are finished," Zay interrupted boldly.

She whipped her head in his direction. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Uh, it's on your backpack?" he suggested tentatively.

"I'll just kill you later." Maya promised, sounding serious enough for everyone to know she could actually be planning something – not necessarily death but something equally worse.

Lucas gave his friend a pitying look before adding his commentary. "You're not even trying in school anymore."

Maya laughed. "Even for a Huckleberry, that was a lame attempt. You all know I never do the homework."

"We also all know that you actually _do_ or try sometimes. Sure it's not very often, but we all know you at least listen when the teacher is talking."

She remained silent.

"And you get a detention like, every day," Zay added.

"How could that possibly—"

He held up a stilling hand, and gestured for Farkle to speak.

"It's been scientifically proven that insecure people like to one up people, offend others way too easily, and take offense themselves often. Maya, these are things that cause the problems that you get in trouble for."

"No kidding." Zay snorted and smirked. "Especially these last couple of months. You've been taking offense to almost everything now."

"I don't take offense at anything, Babineaux. So why don't you just shut your ballet dancing mouth, and stop!" She trembled in anger.

"It was just a joke, Maya." He raised his eyebrows, seeming indifferent, although inside he wondered if he really had gone too far.

The group was quiet, and everyone was afraid to make the next move. Right now it felt like the world was holding its breath, and they themselves were walking on eggshells. No one dared point out that Maya had just proven Zay's point right of course, but it was the only thing going through their minds at the moment. The girl in question shook her head in disgust, and much to Riley's surprise, walked out her bedroom door. The brunette immediately rose, and started after her best friend, her face full of alarm. She was quickly held back by Lucas though, who got up to block her movement.

"Let her go, Riley," he said softly.

"No, I need to fix this," she said, her voice thick with emotion, still straining to catch a glimpse of Maya.

"Not yet. She needs to be alone right now."

* * *

Maya never cried. She knew that, her friends knew that, and she wasn't going to change that now; even though she was on the verge of it. Or maybe it was just the anger threatening to spill out somehow. Maybe it was better for it to come out of her eyes than her fists or something else. How could they just accuse her of something like that, and expect her not to get upset? They had all lined up, one by one, and listed the things she did wrong. Every single one of them. Like she needed that; she already had enough of that in her head as it was. Maya second guessed everything she did. But of course she would never admit it to anyone - she barely could tell herself.

Then there was the whole thing with the braces, which wasn't even important - it just drove her crazy until she wanted to smash a hole in the wall. Which she had before; there was a reason she was okay with hanging her artwork on her bedroom walls, and not just keep them safely in her sketchbook.

How could they just rag on her like that? As long as she could remember, Maya had tried hard to keep her mask on, to forget her own problems. She didn't laugh at Ranger Rick's odd problem with singing that one time in choir, or Farkle's funny rants and raves about little things no one else cared about. She didn't bat an eyelash whenever Riley complained to her about the stupidest things in her life, that to her were mountains but to Maya felt like insignificant molehills compared to her own issues. She loved Riley, and would go to the moon and back to help her; because that's what friends did, and that's all that mattered. Apparently though, the feeling wasn't mutual. Oh, Riley tried to help her obviously, but, she didn't do it the way she should have; the way Maya had done with every single one of Riley's problems. Instead, so far it felt like her best friend was "helping" her by ganging up on her with their friends, giving her reasons why _they_ felt she was insecure, and thinking they knew all about her, and she was wrong and they were right.

And that was the only problem…they were right, weren't they? She felt like maybe she was insecure sometimes, but then her old self would take over and tell her to buck up and be confident and she would ignore it. Maya knew part of that came from years of putting up walls to protect herself and to prevent others from seeing past her mask. But what about before her "old self" showed up? Who was that Maya? Was that the true Maya; the one that was insecure? What really wrapped it all up was that she was too dumb to even _know_ if she was insecure or not. Maya couldn't even answer questions about herself, so how could anyone expect her to write an essay on how the World Wars were influential on herself and her family, so many decades after it had passed? So, there it was; Maya Penelope Hart's essence. She was too stupid to pass anything, so she got in trouble instead, not just because of the reasons Farkle had listed off. They were true to a certain extent, but were far from the being the full reason why. It was easier this way. Maybe her mom would notice her more too, as an added bonus, which so far though had only resulted in groundings along with her detentions. And she had started to give up art, because even though in the past it had been her outlet, trying to draw or paint had become harder... Why did all of this matter? She didn't know.

Maya stared at her reflection, and criticized the face she saw staring back at her. Her thoughts and emotions had drawn out an ugly expression on her face, and she hated looking at herself, but she also couldn't look away at the same time. Then it hit her as she realized that what she was doing now, she had been doing for a long time. She _was_ insecure. About her face, her clothes, her art, her family life, her height, her stupid brain—the list went on and on. And she recognized what she herself did, she hid behind a facade and had created this confident, rebellious leader. And alongside her friends, she herself had fallen for it, she herself had too. And now she had slowly, unknowingly, been letting her insecurities show. Maya didn't know how she was going to plug up the cracks where her troubles were seeping through, but she would do it. So, for now, she was just going to take it as life came along, go with the flow, and keep up her seemingly rock solid facade.

* * *

Riley glanced over at the canvas besides her own. Blank white nothing stared back at her, and her fingers ached to add a swipe of purple, but it was Maya's canvas so she wouldn't. The artist in question wasn't even looking at her canvas; she was zoned out, her gaze fixated on something outside.

"...can somebody tell me why we're focusing on painting people from memory?" Their art teacher's question jerked the two girls out of their thoughts.

He looked around the room, searching for his victim, when his eyes landed on Riley and Maya. Mr. Mendez crossed over to his two students, and squinted at the artwork they had—or hadn't in Maya's case—created. Folding his arms, he decided to deal with Riley first.

"Can you tell me, Ms. Matthews?"

"Uh—no sir," she admitted. Then her face brightened. "But, I can tell you that this is one of the _best_ purple cats I have ever painted!"

"Riley. Your assignment was to paint a _person_ , not a cat," Mr. Mendez sighed and rubbed his forehead. "How did you even find the purple? I swear I hid it with—"

He broke off, and turned to Maya, who smiled back at him with fake innocence.

"What can she say?" Riley shrugged. "She's a bad, bad girl!"

"Speaking of which, where's your art?" The teacher turned to Maya, puzzlement filling his face.

She shrugged and, dipping her pointer finger in Riley's purple paint, proceeded to draw a cat very similar to her friend's. Riley beamed and hugged Maya, trying not to get the paint on her arms and hands all over their shirts.

"Ms. Hart, are you aware that you are failing art?" Mr. Mendez asked as he grew stern.

Riley gasped and got up to face the teacher. "But she can't fail art! She's Maya; a serious artist who paints what she feels."

"Why don't you tell her that?" He gave one last look at the twin purple cats, and walked away shaking his head and muttering something about getting a safe to hide the paint in.

"Maya," Riley said as sat back down, and made her friend face her. "Why aren't you painting?"

"Don't feel like it, Riles. That's it." Maya said, trying to sound disinterested, but not succeeding.

"That's not it. How could you not paint?"

The blonde sighed impatiently, and turned to glance at Lucas who was only a couple of seats over, and was listening intently. She glared at the boy, who quickly went back to his art.

"Just not in the mood, Riley." Maya muttered, and tried to control her breathing; she knew that more questions were coming.

"No. You're being insecure. And it's one thing to be worried about your appearance, but Maya, you won't even paint anymore! Doesn't something about that seem off to you?"

"Why won't you just leave this alone?" she fumed.

"I'm never going to leave this alone. Maya—"

Riley gasped in shock as a wet paintbrush brushed over her nose and cheeks. Zay noticed the storm brewing, and nudged his friends to take notice. Lucas quickly put down his brushes, and wiped his hands on a rag, marching swiftly to the girls. Maya raised her arm for another paint inflicted punishment, but Lucas grabbed it, and snatched the paintbrush out of her hand.

"Okay, Maya. Calm down," he said, still holding her arm down.

Farkle came over with a wet towel, which he handed to Riley, who proceeded to wipe her purple face. Zay decided to watch from a safe distance, every once in a while glancing at their art teacher, who seemed to be preoccupied with another student.

"Leave me alone, Sundance," Maya hissed and glared at her captor.

He shook his head. "Can't do that. Do you really want to get suspended?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I told him," Riley said, scrubbing at a spot on her nose.

"Why?!"

"Because." She looked at Farkle, who nodded in confirmation as he surveyed her now paint-free face. "He's your friend too, and shouldn't friends know what's going on?"

Maya shook her head. "No one needs to know everything about everyone. And you all need to leave this alone."

"We can't do that Maya." Farkle said solemnly.

"And why not?" she growled.

"Because, you've helped us with every single problem we've ever had, so shouldn't we step in when it's your turn? And that's not even mentioning that we're your friends and will do anything to help you."

"Well, I don't want your help; I'm just fine." Maya waved him off.

"You're not fine!" Riley shouted suddenly.

Mr. Mendez straightened from bending over another student's artwork, and squinted at the group across the room, trying to decide if they were creating a problem. Guessing they probably were, he strode over to the friends, and gestured for Farkle and Lucas to go back to their own seats. Turning to Maya and Riley, he took away their art supplies, and put them away.

"Because you can't be trusted to handle paint," Mr. Mendez explained and crossed his arms. "You can just sit here until class is over. Seriously, you two? This is high school, not some kindergarten free for all craft show."

He gave them one last warning look, before returning to the rest of his class. Riley looked sheepishly down at her purple stained hands.

"I didn't mean to push you, Peaches."

"Of course you did, Riley. That's what you do."

It was said without malice, and Riley felt confused by the double sided comment. She slid her eyes to the clock, and anticipating its bell to ring any minute, she gathered up her books and bags, hastening Maya to do the same. Her friend ignored her, instead gazing out the window again. Once the bell had rung, the class piled into the hallway, scurrying to get to their next class, all except for Riley and Maya.

"Come on, Peaches!" She tugged on the blonde's hand, leaving remnants of purple paint on it.

"No, I'll catch up. I just need to—think for a little while, okay?" Maya said persuasively.

Riley reluctantly let go, and walked out the door. Maya sighed, and grabbing a dripping blue paintbrush from another easel, began to draw something. She didn't know what it was - she never did, but it usually turned out fine; her hands knew what to do. After a moment, she stepped back and looked at her canvas.

Wrong.

It was all wrong.


	3. More Than Just Black Eyes

_**Author's Note:**_ ** _Do you want me to update sooner? I can definitely try if that's what you guys want! Anyway, hope you love this, I had fun writing some of these scenes! Please leave any comments, criticisms, and reviews, they would be very appreciated. Thank you for reading! (Edited by Chereche!)  
_**

 ** _UPDATED: 10-30-16_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!_**

* * *

Chapter Three: More Than Just Black Eyes:

"Can you still not eat?" Riley asked sympathetically.

Maya sighed, annoyed that her friend had seemed to forget their argument earlier like it had never happened. But then again, that was how Riley seemed to function most of the time.

"Not, really," she answered patiently, glaring down at her yogurt.

"Hey, Shortstack." Lucas slid in next to Maya at the table. "You hungry?"

"Okay, I don't need another joke from you guys about how everything is so delicious and I can't eat a bite of it," she snapped.

"Nah, we're done with that," Zay promised and smiled.

"Here," Lucas said simply, handing her a cup of soup.

"Where did you get this?" Maya asked in surprise.

"I had my mama grab some for you and drop it off for lunch. I knew you can't eat anything that requires chewing, so I thought maybe some soup would be nice."

She wasn't exactly sure what to say; because while half of her was mad at her friends, the other part of her was warmed by the thoughtfulness shown.

"Okay, fine. I'll let you off the hook temporarily, Hop a' long," Maya said considerately as she opened it.

"What about me?" Zay asked.

"Hey, you had your chance," she answered, sipping the hot broth.

Riley smiled and Lucas smirked as his friend pretended to pout. Everything was getting better now; Maya couldn't stay mad at her friends for very long, no matter how hard she tried. Well, at least on the outside. On the inside, she kept it all deep, and even she didn't fully realize the grudges she held.

"Okay, everyone's happy again!" Riley exclaimed. "So, about Maya's—"

"Do you really want to go there? We just had a fight about this, Riley," Maya said in astonishment.

"—suspension threat," she finished with a slight smirk.

Maya went back to her soup.

"It's not like we can control her," Farkle reminded.

"No one can control her. Well, maybe Lucas," Riley said thoughtfully.

"Me?" he asked, mildly surprised.

"Yes, you!" Riley answered, and rolled her eyes. "But that's not the point, anyway. If we can't really control her in the moment, we need to make sure it doesn't ever start at all."

Maya had had enough though. "If you guys are going to talk about me like I'm not here, then I'm gonna' leave," she ground out and started to get up.

"Oh, cut it out, Blonde Beauty." Zay said.

Maya's face turned a light shade of pink, while Lucas's became beet red. He faced his friend, who just raised his eyebrows and smiled evilly.

"What?"

Lucas's eyes held a warning, which was clearly conveyed to his friend.

"Okay, I'll shut up now." Zay conceded.

"One time," he muttered under his breath.

" _One time_?"

"Anyway," Farkle said, clearing his throat and redirecting the conversation to its original point. "Maya, we just don't want you to get suspended."

"Eh' I don't know. It wouldn't be that bad; I wouldn't have to go to school, I could do whatever I wanted," she answered and shrugged.

"Except you would most likely be grounded. And forced to do mountains of chores," Riley pointed out, settling her chin on her hand.

"Ugh, that's probably true." She agreed.

"Hey, remember when you guys called off the triangle?" Zay spoke up suddenly.

Both of the girl's faces paled considerably, and they couldn't meet each other's eyes. Lucas suddenly became very interested in his sloppy joe.

"Zay," Farkle hissed between clenched teeth. "You better have a really good point."

"Well, remember that weekend where everyone finally moved on, and it seemed like everyone was fine…but they weren't? Maya was going to go do something—I don't even remember what it was—and we "contained" her?"

"Point, ballet dancer," Maya grated out, her patience was wearing thin.

"Doesn't that mean we can do it again? I guess the real point here is, we teamed up to help one of our friends, and we looked out for her. That's what friends do, right? Help each other out, and make sure nothing happens to them. Prevent things going from bad to worse," Zay finished.

"Way to be subtle." She said bitterly.

"Let's just assume he's talking about your suspension, okay?" Lucas persuaded.

"It hasn't even happened yet, and you guys are acting like it's a sure thing!" Maya exclaimed.

"No, that's not what we're saying, Peaches. And weren't _you_ the one that told me yesterday that you were already preparing yourself for it to happen?" Riley reminded her.

"Doesn't mean you guys have to do anything," she mumbled.

"Maya, we just want to help you." Farkle repeated.

"I don't need help, okay?" She pushed her tray aside, and stomped off.

"Well, that didn't work," Lucas sighed, and leaned slightly on the table.

Zay seemed lost in thought, until Riley snapped her fingers in his face.

"Earth to Zay!" She smiled.

He looked around the table and asked, slightly self-consciously, " _You_ guys don't care that I do ballet, right?"

* * *

The grass was soft and warm, almost like nature's way of telling you to fall asleep in its green blanket. Some people had done so - she could see them - but Maya herself didn't comply. The sky was a brilliant blue, and even though white, puffy clouds hovered above them, she spotted the dark, grey ones crouching above the horizon. She liked that; it held the promise of rain. Maya wasn't sure why she liked the rain—or maybe she didn't, who knew anymore? Maybe she liked the rain because it made the plants grow. No that wasn't it; that was too Riley for it to be her thoughts. Then, maybe she enjoyed the sound it made when it hit the roof? But it felt like a Farkle observation. Or, maybe it was the feeling itself of being out in it; letting the cool raindrops fall all over her. That was it. She had a memory of when she was really young, and her father had taken her to the park when it started to rain. At first she had started to cry because her nice day was ruined, but her father had picked her up and started to dance with her in the rain. Maya had giggled, and had made up some kind of rain song and dance, that they performed for the trees surrounding them.

She took a fistful of grass, and felt the urge to cry and hit something at the same time. She knew why though this time; it was one of the last good memories she had of her father before he had left. But that was a forbidden topic for her; she didn't want to think about him at all.

Her phone pinged, and she rolled over to grab it, swiping the lock screen with her finger. Maya opened the text, and her face hardened as she read what was written. Throwing the device back in the grass, she closed her eyes, trying to think about something else, _anything_ else, but it didn't work. It shouldn't bother her, and at first she had laughed when the messages were sent, but now? Maya hated to admit it, but it was probably affecting her, even though she knew she was hiding it extremely well. That was one thing she was amazing at, putting up an unbreakable mask that no one could see through. She wasn't even sure who was sending her the texts, but it didn't really matter anyway.

Maya had no intention of telling any of her friends regardless; Lucas would probably turn into "Texas Lucas", Farkle would research until he was blue in the face, and Riley wouldn't rest until she had fixed everything. She didn't want to deal with that; because even though they thought they were helping, they would just make it worse. In that instance, she could understand why Riley had hidden her own bully, even though she herself didn't approve of anyone hiding things. Fortunately, they had figured out Riley's problem, and everything had gone back to normal. Maya didn't expect any such conclusion. Because unlike Riley, she was a whole lot better a hiding things—she'd had lot's of practice after all.

A sudden splash of coldness spread across her chest, and she gasped in surprise. Opening her eyes, and squinting against the sun, Maya managed to make out the figure of Missy Bradford standing over her, empty cup in hand. Her face was full of fake guilt and apologies, but her cold eyes betrayed her true feelings. She clenched her fists and sat up, trying so hard to keep her anger at bay.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I can be really clumsy at times," Missy said, and blinked innocently.

"What's your problem?" Maya demanded. She stood up, wiping ineffectively at her stained shirt.

"No problem. You were just in the way of the trash can...or maybe I mistook you for the trash. Sorry, my mistake." Missy smirked.

"I loathe you," Maya replied, smiling falsely.

"The feelings mutual, I assure you."

"And your lame insults? Not going to affect me. Nice try."

"Oh, Maya. You wouldn't know a good insult if it hit you in the face. In fact, you wouldn't know about anything taller than 4 feet, would you?" Missy asked, pursing her lips.

That insult hit just a bit too close to home, but Maya refused to give in to her rising temper. "You're not going to get anything out of me. I'm perfectly fine with being short." Maya lied.

" _Right_ ," Missy intoned sarcastically. "So why are you wearing those hideous shoes, then? To distract from those awful braces?"

There was a split second where Maya thought about turning around, of choosing to be the bigger person. But, that wasn't exactly in her nature and what Missy was saying was eerily familiar.

"Did you send those texts?" she asked and walked slowly towards the taller girl.

"What texts?" Missy said, sounding genuinely confused.

Maya ignored that though. "Because you're a lot less insulting in person," she continued. "But I'm glad you talked to me today, Missy. Because now? I get to do this."

With that, Maya tackled the girl to the ground and started punching her in the face. Missy screamed, whether in rage or fear Maya wasn't sure. She didn't remain passive though, and pulled hard at the blonde's hair causing a satisfying shriek from its owner. A crowd of people began to gather - drawn by their screams and shrieks - creating a circle of eager and frightened students. There were no teachers in sight, and fortunately none of her friends who would have prevented her from exacting revenge.

"How could you say those things?!" Maya screamed, digging her nails into Missy's arm.

"What, call you short?" she taunted back, even as she slapped at her.

The former growled and pinned Missy's arms down.

"No, you've said a lot worse things for me to be upset about!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie." She jerked away from Maya's grip, and rolled them over, trying to hold her down instead. She succeeded, smiling in triumph, and stuffed grass and dirt into her opponent's mouth. "Maybe your brain has been messed up from all that time spent with those friends of yours."

It was the wrong thing to say. Maya's eyes grew dangerously bright, and spitting the earth back into Missy's face, she slapped her hard on the cheek, causing the girl to lose grip of her.

"How dare you say _anything_ about my friends!" the blonde yelled, shaking the brunette forcefully.

It turned back into an all-out punching fest then, the dominance flipping back and forth between the two girls. Both were yelling insults at one another all the while, and the circle of students watching had to keep spreading out as they rolled further and further across the grassy field.

There was a sigh of relief from some of the students, when the principal, a couple other teachers, and Maya's friends pushed through the crowd. The girl's gym teacher and Lucas moved forward together. The woman yanked Missy away from Maya – no easy task given how they were still clawing at each other – while Lucas bent and picked his friend up by the waist while she continued to kick and scream. Missy's eyes seemed to mock her infuriatingly, as Maya continued to yell loudly at her in between protests to Lucas as he held her back tightly. Riley, Farkle and Zay watched worriedly from the front of the crowd; wanting to help, but knowing they couldn't do anything.

"Maya!" Lucas reprimanded through gritted teeth.

She finally stopped struggling at his rebuke, but her chest rose heavily with each breath, and her eyes were full of hate and anger as she glared at Missy. Lucas knew he couldn't let go of her yet despite her stillness, so she unwillingly remained pinned in his grasp.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Douglas demanded as he stood between the two captive girls looking from one to the other.

"She attacked me!" Missy accused, pointing a finger at Maya.

"You little—" Maya tried to lunge at the other girl again, who shrieked and flinched, but was unsuccessful as Lucas held her arms tightly.

"Darn you, Cowboy." Maya muttered angrily.

"Well, Ms. Hart? Is that true?" Mr. Douglas asked.

She scowled. "Yes, but—"

The principal raised a hand. "There are no excuses for violence. Really, Ms. Hart. I am extremely disappointed in you."

"It wasn't just me!" Maya argued.

"I was only defending myself, sir." Missy lied, sounding like the innocent girl she wasn't.

"That doesn't excuse your behavior either, Ms. Bradford." He crossed his arms. "If someone "attacked" you, as you say, then you should have come to an adult. There are better ways to solve things than with violence." Mr. Douglas looked at Maya again, saying the last part to her.

She fumed, and tried to wriggle out of Lucas's iron grip on her arm.

"Not all arguments are unprovoked either," The blonde stated.

"I'm aware." This time he glanced pointedly at Missy, who was sulking from her reprimand. "But, we can discuss this behavior in my office later. Mrs. Nichols, can you take Missy to the nurse's office please? I'd like a small word with Maya, first."

The gym teacher took her hands off of her hips, and sternly yet gently nudged the brunette forward, walking slowly to match the girl's pace. Everyone could hear her loud words of scolding, and some of the students snickered.

Maya was itching to race after Missy once more, but she tried to stand still so Lucas would let her go.

"Huckleberry, please unhand me now," she persuaded, throwing in a joke and a small smile to convince her captor.

"Maya—" He shook his head.

"Please? I'm calm now."

Lucas hesitated, but reluctantly let go, eyeing Maya carefully, relief flooding him as she simply stood there. The moment was over quickly, as she sprinted after Missy and tackled her once again to the ground. Missy shrieked, but this time, before she could do anymore damage, she was grabbed roughly once again from behind.

"Lucas!" she shrieked in protest.

Missy quickly got up, brushed the dirt off her skirt, and scurried away; but not before giving Maya one last satisfied smirk. The blonde girl still tried to reach after her, the anger fueled fire inside too big to contain.

The observing students' whispering captured their principal's attention. Mr. Douglas narrowed his eyes, and cupping his hands around his mouth to reach the all the ears of the large crowd, told everyone to go to class. The students reluctantly left, disappointed at having to miss more of the lecturing than they already were.

"You too." Mr. Douglas raised his eyebrows at Riley, Lucas, Zay, and Farkle, who remained planted by their friend's side.

"With all due respect sir, we'd like to escort Maya on to the nurse's office, if that's okay?" Farkle explained.

He considered this, before nodding dismissively, and turning to Maya.

"You do realize there are consequences to your actions, correct?"

She scowled. "I don't want to talk about this. It's her fault she got beat up, and I don't really care if I get suspension anyway."

"Maya." Riley touched her arm gently, trying to remind her to think before she spoke.

"We'll talk about this later, but there _will_ be a discussion. All I wanted to say was that if it is true that you started the fight, it's going to reflect poorly on you—"

Maya began to speak, but he stopped her with a disapproving look.

"I'm not excusing Ms. Bradford, I'm just reminding you of what we've already discussed." Mr. Douglas glanced at his watch before, turning to them, and looking them over suspiciously.

"I hope I can trust you all to get her to the nurse's office?"

"Yes, sir," They all replied, with the exception of a certain blonde.

"Good, and when the nurse clears you, I want you at my office." The principal directed his words to Maya. "Again, while I do not condone your behavior, I hope your injuries aren't too severe. Please make sure you get them checked out."

He said the last part with a rare smile, but she couldn't find it in her furious heart to return it. Sighing in response, he headed back up the school's front walk, while Maya finally let her anger completely consume her. She couldn't calm down, no matter how hard she tried, and she was trying her best to get Lucas to let go of her. Now, that Mr. Douglas was gone, she wouldn't get reprimanded for "attacking" another student.

"Will you stop it already?" he protested as she kicked at his probably already bruised shins.

"I'm going to kill Missy." Maya cried furiously.

"I think you already did enough." Zay shook his head, in part fear and in part awe.

"What were you thinking, Maya?" Farkle asked, his face full of disappointment; which really stung.

"Oh, shut up. You weren't there!" Maya threw out thoughtlessly.

"Yah, but I know you don't just solve problems by beating people up!" he snapped back.

"She did her fair share, I assure you," she replied, referring to her face which felt raw and was throbbing.

"Stop, Farkle." Riley flashed him a look. "Give her some grace."

The boy guilty shrunk back, and offered his other friend an apology. "I'm sorry, Maya. Riley's right...are you okay? You look awful."

"Gee, thanks, Farkle." She said, less anger in her voice this time.

Her strength had finally started to wane, and she wasn't struggling half as much anymore. Lucas still held her firmly though, and was giving her an indecipherable look.

"Will you let go of me?" Maya glared at him.

"No way," he said and shook his head. "You aren't getting away again."

"I'm fine now," she tried.

He refused; partly because she was unpredictable and partly because he could still see the anger and fire in her shining eyes despite her words. Looking down at her injured face and seeing the fiery emotions there reopened his own store of bad memories, and it hurt.

He gave into those feelings. "Did it feel good?" Lucas asked as he felt his own anger rise suddenly. "Huh? Did it?"

She didn't answer.

"Well? How did it feel to mess someone up?!" Lucas demanded and shook the girl slightly.

"Lucas!" Riley reprimanded, stepping forward, and displaying unusual boldness. "You both are ridiculous! She just got seriously hurt, and all you can think about is how bad she was."

Riley's voice distracted him long enough from his anger that he saw reason. "Sorry...I'm really sorry," he sighed, disappointed in himself.

"You know what this means though, don't you?" Farkle spoke up again, though much less assertive.

They all looked at him in knowing reluctance.

"Suspension," Zay said, speaking for all of them.

Riley watched Maya's reaction, still observing her as she had been doing since she came out of the school. She had never seen Maya like this. No matter how angry she had gotten, Maya had never physically harmed someone, and it kind of scared her.

"Good. I can't wait to get out of here," Maya spat.

"You don't mean that—" Riley furrowed her brow.

"Yes. I do," she insisted forcefully.

"Man, you know what that was like?" Zay said, drawing the attention away from the girls. 'Texas Lucas' in female form. Seriously, Maya. That was some crazy stunt you pulled."

She made a frustrated sound in her throat. "It wasn't some _stunt_ okay? And again, it wasn't just me!"

"We know, Peaches," Riley consoled.

"Obviously _they_ don't."

"We do, Maya. We're just disappointed in you, too." Lucas tried to justify their words.

"And besides, it's kind of hard to ignore the fact that you look pretty beat up yourself." Zay added. "So, unless you got attacked by the grass, somebody else was fighting you."

Maya pursed her lips, trying to judge their sincerity. "Okay, how bad does it look?"

Riley patted her on the shoulder. "You always look wonderful."

"Riles."

"It probably looks worse than it actually is." The brunette offered.

The rest of them surveyed their friend, glancing over her injuries sympathetically. Her hair was a disheveled mess filled with grass and dirt. There was a large brown stain covering half of her white shirt, and one of her shoes had gone missing. Then there was the effects of Missy's half of the fight. Maya's left eye was starting to swell and bruise, already painting her with the nasty colors of purple, blue, and yellow, while her split lip was puffy and red. Her nose was bleeding slightly, there were plenty of bruises and cuts dotting her arms and face, and she was limping slightly—though probably partly due to her missing shoe.

"Let's just deal with this later," Lucas decided. "Maya has somewhere she needs to be."

"And we'll talk about what caused the fight later as well, although I have a good idea of what it could be." Farkle glanced at Zay, who sighed in sad agreement.

"It's not your job," Maya reiterated.

"The decision has been made, Peaches," Riley said determinedly, and folded her arms, but not before hugging her gingerly. "I hope you're okay."

"How are you so calm about this?" Maya asked, bemused.

She shrugged, and glanced at her other friends who were wondering the same thing.

"Oh, come on you guys. You know it'll all come out later, don't you?" Riley smiled. "And I already know she'll be just fine."

"There's the optimist." Zay muttered.

Maya sighed, and allowed Lucas had to half drag her. She was admittedly difficult in going, but she followed him towards the school, dreading the conversation she knew waited inside.


	4. Losing Some Things

_**Author's Note: This chapter is a little shorter than usual, so I apologize in advance. But, I'd really like to thank all of you who have followed, reviewed, and favorited my story. It's really amazing how many views I've gotten in this short time, and I can't express how excited and grateful I am! Also, I wanted to let you all know that I am going to try to update on a schedule now, so I will update every 5 days or so! This of course may change in the future, but we'll see how it goes... (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 11/5/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!  
**_

* * *

Chapter Four: Losing Some Things

Maya hated the silent treatment. It wasn't exactly what Lucas was giving her, but his face was hard and he hadn't spoken a word since they had walked inside the school. At some point it started bugging her, and she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Well, Huckleberry. Looks like you and I won't be seeing each other for a while, so if you have any last rope tricks to show me, it better be quick," Maya teased.

Lucas sighed heavily, and continued his silent act as they waited for the nurse to finish up with Missy so that Maya could have her turn.

She bit her lip. "Or, maybe you could just catch up on my homework for me while I'm gone...Actually, that's a really good idea! Would you do that?"

"Maya, this isn't the time for jokes," he said quietly.

"You guys are being ridiculous. All we did was get in a small fight! Why-"

Lucas stopped Maya from continuing, and, facing her, she could see the disappointment all over his face; just like the rest of her friends'.

"That wasn't some _small_ fight, Maya! Are you kidding me, right now?"

His anger was controlled, but she knew it was very close to erupting. Half of her had the undeniable urge to coax it out, though the other half of her was a little frightened by the prospect. But, she still had some of her adrenaline from the fight, and her head was muddled, so she went for the stupid thing and tried to anger Lucas.

"Well, you would know wouldn't you? After all, you got into plenty of fights yourself, Sundance."

Lucas studied the small blonde beside him. She couldn't possibly be that stupid, he wondered.

"This isn't about me." He counted to 5, and continued to try his best to be patient even as she continued to press him.

"Oh, but isn't it? You tried to stop me when I clearly had things handled. Maybe you're losing your edge, Ranger Rick." She cocked her head, and ignored the pain that sprouted from her face at the movement.

"I was trying to stop you from completely losing your mind," he said. His cheeks felt hot with anger.

"Aw, little Cowboy. Forget how to tussle with the snakes?" she cooed and stuck out her bottom lip in fake sympathy, congratulating herself on her accurate mimicry of Missy.

He grabbed her wrist forcefully, and pushed her against the wall they were standing by to guarantee that she was paying close attention to him. She was, but she had an annoying smirk on her face that he wanted to wipe off.

"I'm not necessarily upset about your attempts to turn me into 'Texas Lucas', but I am upset over your lack of thought and ridiculous behavior! Aren't you even a little embarrassed?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Nope." She popped her "p".

"Will you cut it out?!" Lucas demanded and shook her shoulders forcefully.

"Make me," she challenged haughtily.

He released her, a look of realization dawning. "I'm not going to fight you, Maya," he said decisively, and rolled his eyes when she all but pouted.

"Why not?" Maya straightened and pushed at his chest.

Lucas folded his arms and shook his head, ignoring her actions. "You're already in enough trouble as it is, Shortstack."

"Exactly, so hey, I can do whatever the heck I want to do as far as I'm concerned," she retorted.

As she walked towards him, he almost grinned at how short she was; even with the heels. It certainly wasn't his idea of intimidating, but obviously she felt that she had it in her. Maya narrowed his eyes at the tall boy, and wondered if she should really do something.

She would have, except she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass of a trophy case, and flinched at the sight. She looked like an extra on a horror movie set, and she hated herself for looking like a mess in front of the whole school. Okay, so maybe she was embarrassed about how she acted, but it wasn't for the reasons he would have expected her to be, and she certainly wasn't going to admit it to him. Besides, she wasn't sorry in the least for fighting, just for her stupid insecurity.

Lucas noticed the change in her behavior, and puzzlement filled his face as she stepped back from him.

"Let's just get this over and done with...You know what? Never mind. I can walk myself to the principal's office just fine when I'm done here. I practically have the route memorized. So leave," she said, and turned on her heel and entered the nurse's office.

He probably should have followed, except he was extremely confused by his friend's odd, conflicting behavior, and wasn't sure what to do. And, so, he went to his last class of the day, knowing he could always find out more later after school ended.

* * *

"You know what I have to do now, don't you?" Mr. Douglas asked unnecessarily.

Maya blew a strand of dirty hair out of her face, and nodded slightly.

"I don't understand your actions. I warned you just yesterday, and you completely disregarded my suggestion...I'm sorry, I take that back. It wasn't a suggestion; it was common sense, which you clearly lack any of."

Their conversation was cut off by the door opening, and Maya slumped low in her seat as she saw who entered.

"Hi, I'm Maya's mother." The woman walked forward and shook hands with the principal. "They said I could just come in."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Hart. I'm extremely sorry to have disturbed you, but this was very important." He gestured for her to sit in the seat next to her daughter.

"Naturally, and can I just apologize in advance for Maya's behavior? I really hate to cause trouble for you." She gave a pointed look in her direction.

"With all due respect, it's Maya's apology we're looking for." Mr. Douglas raised his eyebrows at the blonde.

Ms. Hart looked once again at her daughter, this time getting a good look at her, and noticing the black eye and split lip, furrowed her brow in concern.

"Baby Girl, why did this happen? Who did this to you?" She gingerly touched Maya's face, causing her to gasp in pain.

"We've confirmed that _she_ started a fight with another girl," he said, clearing his throat. "And—"

"Why would you do something like this?" her mother interrupted, staring at her. "You've never gotten into a fight before. Mr. Douglas, I really have no idea what went through her head." Ms. Hart shook her head, looking from Maya to the principal.

"Neither do I. Ms. Hart, would you care to enlighten us?" He narrowed his eyes as he watched the teenager.

"Not really," Maya shrugged, much to her mother's chagrin, who elbowed her.

"Well, unfortunately that's no longer an option. So, I suggest you do what you know is the correct thing now. It may help your case in the slightest." Mr. Douglas pushed back his chair a little.

"She was insulting me." Maya said and slid deeper into her chair.

"And you thought that it could be solved by fighting her? Why didn't you just ask a teacher for help, Maya?" her mother asked.

"See, what adults don't seem to get is that it always makes things worse," Maya snapped, standing up, and crossing her arms.

"No, it doesn't. Ms. Hart, we don't just give out worthless advice for no reason. Everyone here is willing to help you if something is wrong. You just need to open yourself up to do so," Mr. Douglas said, apparently convincingly if the way her mother nodded was anything to go by.

She though rolled her eyes, and leaned against a bookshelf; ignoring her mother's disapproving stares.

"Can we just move on, please?"

"It's probably best if we do," he sighed, and straightened a paper on his desk. "We've already dealt with the other student involved. However, given Ms. Hart's history, and the number of warnings she's already received, I unfortunately have to assign suspension."

Her mother rubbed her forehead, and said weakly, "Suspension?"

"Sadly, yes." The principal looked equally as frustrated.

"Okay, well, maybe this will be good for her," she rationalized. "I'll make sure that home isn't an escape." Ms. Hart said; to Maya she seemed oddly calm for the news she had just received.

"Good." Mr. Douglas glanced at the scowling girl, before rising to shake her mother's hand once again. "It was nice to meet you Ms. Hart, I'm sorry to have to bring you away from your talent show."

"It wasn't a talent show," she answered, automatically becoming enthusiastic at the mention of her passion.

"Mom." Maya warned.

"Just a little audition!" She continued. "The director called me "moderately pleasing". I think it was one of my best performances."

"That's wonderful," Mr. Douglas said awkwardly. "Well, best of luck then."

"Thank you!"

Maya straightened from her leaning position.

"How long is the suspension?"

"Currently, due to your escalating behavior, I have to suspend you for the maximum period of 10 days. We will review after that time, and see how it goes." He answered.

The two Hart women gave their last acknowledgments, and disappeared into the vacant school hallway. Ms. Hart's face immediately grew hard and angry, as she walked furiously towards the front doors. Maya had to practically trot to keep up with her; much to her annoyance.

"Why can't you learn to think?!" her mother snapped, shaking her head. "That has to be the stupidest thing you've ever done."

"Well, I'm sorry if I was trying to make sure that jerk didn't get away with what she said," she retorted back boldly.

"What you _need_ to make sure you do is control your temper! What you're doing is letting your temper control you."

"I'm not going to let people walk over me anymore, okay?" Maya huffed.

"What are you talking about? Who walks over you?" Ms. Hart asked, even though she, still sounded irritated.

Maya froze, and tried to regain her composure, covering her slip-up easily. "I just mean I don't want anybody to think they can insult me like that."

"There are much better ways to express that, Maya Penelope."

She scowled at the use of the hated name.

"What am I going to do with you? I have to work all day, and there's _no_ way I'm letting you stay home alone," Ms. Hart sighed, pushing the school door open.

"What? I'm not some little kid!" Maya protested.

"Well, until you stop acting like an irresponsible "little kid", you get all the wonderful benefits of being treated like one," her mother said, smiling mockingly.

She kept walking towards the subway, but Maya stopped as she spotted her friends hovering by a group of trees, and she gestured for them to move on. There was no way she was seeing them today...or tomorrow...or the next couple of weeks, if her mother was super hard on the grounding time.

Maya ran to catch up with her, they exchanged annoyed expressions, and then they turned their attention to the sidewalk. No one talked the whole way home.

* * *

Maya bent over the sketchpad, causing her swollen eye to throb, but she ignored it. Plucking the golden yellow pencil from the box, she tactically shaded and cross hatched, things that seemed to be almost natural to her. It was 3 minutes later when she completed the shadows and coloring, and she leaned back to take in what she had drawn. Maya had no idea what it was, and yet she had created it. Lines waved and bobbed when they shouldn't, and the yellow was terribly used, clashing too much with the rest of the picture. Releasing a cry of frustration, she ripped the page out from the sketchbook, and crumpled it up into a tight ball, enjoying the satisfaction of seeing the colors smudge and wrinkle. Going to her open window, she threw the paper ball out into the wind, and watched as it bounced down the fire escape, and onto the dirty street below. It eventually tumbled out of sight, it's bright yellow coloring obvious even from all the way up in her room. Maya slid down her wall, bringing her knees to her chest, and resting her head on top of them. It started to rain, and the drops hit the back of her neck, coming in through the window above her head. She ignored it, not wanting to get up.

"Maya?" her mother called as she knocked on the door, and then opened it slowly.

She lifted her head. "Why do you even bother knocking, if you're just going to come in no matter what?"

"Hey, I'm trying to be somewhat civilized," Ms. Hart playfully said, ignoring her sarcasm in an attempt to make their exchanges lighthearted. She felt a little guilty for being so hard on her daughter earlier, even though it was highly appropriate.

She took in her daughter's position and the slowly growing wetness around the open window. Reaching above Maya, she closed it with a bang, shivering as a last blast of cold, wet air sprayed her. Ms. Hart snagged an old towel from the desk, and began to wipe up the water, starting with the windowsill and ending with her daughter's neck and back. When she finished, she lifted Maya's chin, and groaned slightly as she sat down on the floor across from her.

"It's times like these, I feel old," Ms. Hart smiled. "Maybe I should start auditioning for old lady roles, huh?"

"Mom, stop trying to be funny," Maya said quietly, unfazed by her jokes.

"Okay, sweetie." She nodded solemnly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her daughter's ear.

"Hey, mom?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Did you need something?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I had someone else take my shift at the diner tonight, so I have the evening off...Do you want to watch something, or do you want to spend some time by yourself?"

"I thought I was grounded...from like everything."

She laughed. "Well, I think I can allow _one_ movie tonight."

"Do you hate me? For causing this?" Maya asked hesitantly.

Her mother leaned forward and hugged her daughter tightly. "Baby girl, no matter what you do, I could never hate you...not even if you caused a thousand fights."

Maya sighed. "Do I get ice cream, too?"

"Don't push it." Ms. Hart shook a finger at her.

"Okay, I'll be out in a minute."

"Love you," she squeezed her arm gently. "And, I just wanted to let you know, that I decided to leave you here on your own during the day. I'm going to trust you, so please don't abuse that."

Maya nodded in agreement and relief.

Her mother gave her one last hug, then got up and left, closing the door gently behind her. Maya glanced once more at the spot where her mom had been sitting, before slumping against the wall once more.

It was obvious, her mom was disappointed in her. Just like her friends. Did it make sense? Yes, she supposed it did, she wasn't completely incompetent. It was still a harsh reality for her to face though. Maya realized deep down that she had hoped she would be able to live up to her friend's expectations, and do the right thing. For them, if for no other reason. And now she had earned their disapproval, her mom's, a suspension, and the fact that she couldn't just _ignore_ whomever was bothering her.

The good news was that it was going to give her the momentum to do what she should have done a long time ago. All of this just went to show how much of a problem she was, and she couldn't even imagine how much her friends must secretly resent her for causing so much trouble.

So, if they didn't believe in her, which she knew had to be true, then she couldn't have the right to put faith in anything. Starting with her art.

Maya forced herself to rise, and crossed over to her art covered bed; pencils, erasers, and paper scattered across the surface. Looking around her room for a specific item, she spotted the big, blue bin by her dresser, and grabbing it, dumped out the few random pieces of junk that were inside. Then, sweeping all of the art supplies on her bed into the bin, she snapped the lid shut, and popping open the cap on a black sharpie, labeled clearly what the container was for. Maya stared at the words for a while; having them written made it all more powerful and meaningful. And then, she shoved the offending box underneath her bed, hating it and feeling a sense of loss at the same time.

Maya couldn't help but sneak a quick glance in the mirror, predictability hating what she saw. The battle wounds she had acquired made it all so much worse to her. Fighting the urge to crack the mirror, and throw the pieces outside like the paper ball, she switched off her lights and left.

But, her mind was fixed on the label on the bin under her bed. In the darkness, the writing was indecipherable, but of course it didn't matter because Maya had written the words. The bin was tattooed with " _Hope is for suckers"_ and it never seemed truer to her now.


	5. What the Moon Saw

_**Author's Note: Thank you all for the wonderful response! And I really appreciate everyone who has followed, favorited, or reviewed this story! It means a lot that you would take the time to do so...(Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **Well, this is the chapter where things start to get interesting! I'm a little nervous, but I hope you guys enjoy! And please don't forget to REVIEW!**_

 _ **UPDATED: 11-9-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Five: What the Moon Saw

Maya flopped onto her bed, moving aside the schoolbooks and essays with her feet and legs, not caring if they got crumpled or bent. It was going to be a long day, and she had nothing to do but homework, and—just like Riley predicted—lots of chores. Naturally, she didn't want to do it. Of course, she had no choice or say in the matter, but Maya still wasn't going to do them just yet.

Her mom was at the diner, and so the house was full of silence, something she wasn't used to. She wasn't sure she really liked it, so she wandered over to her small window, and struggled to open it; the hinges rusty and the glass extremely dirty. Had they actually ever cleaned their windows? Probably not, but Maya didn't really care, because it meant more work for her and her mother.

The streets were full of their usual noise and people, and even though it would have been frightening, annoying, or distracting to anyone else, it was calming and comforting to Maya. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else, or at least somewhere quiet and far away from the city.

Her phone buzzed on her bed, letting her know that she had a text message. Her mom had been gracious enough not to take away her phone, and it was the one privilege she had while she was grounded, so she was grateful for it...at least most of the time. Maya was hesitant to open the message because she didn't really need the hurtful words right now, but her nature refused to allow her to do anything else, so she did. Much to her relief though, it was only from Riley, someone who she was annoyed at. But, she was definitely an improvement over the mystery texter.

 **Riley:** _How's the dungeon of sadness?!_

 **Maya:** _Dark..._

 **Riley:** _I'm sorry you got grounded, Peaches! :(_

 **Maya:** _Yah, well it's all okay,_ _'_ _caus_ _e_ _I got tons of homework and chores to keep me company._

 **Riley:** _Aw, she treating you like_ _C_ _inderella before the ball?_

 **Maya:** _Something like that...you know you have the weirdest comparisons?_

 **Riley:** _You know you love them!_

 **Maya:** _…_

 **Riley:** _Well, will your mom let you out of the house?_

 **Maya:** _Doubt it. I can text her though; she doing a shift at the diner til' around 10 tonight._

 **Riley:** _Your mom left you alone in the house?! Why aren't you already over here? You snuck out right?_

 **Maya:** _No..._

 **Riley:** _What?! Maya Hart always sneaks out!_

 **Maya:** _...Are you encouraging me to sneak out?_

 **Riley:** _No, no, no, no! Don't do it, Peaches!_

Maya smirked at her friend, and opened up a new message to her mother, hoping she wasn't too busy. Getting out of the prison would be great; it was lonely and boring here.

 **Maya:** _Hey, mom? Can I go over to Riley's?_

 **Mom:** _You remember that you're grounded, right?_

 **Maya:** _Yes..._

 **Mom:** _Have you even finished your homework and chores?_

 **Maya:** _Okay, fine. Can Riley come over to do my homework and chores?_

 **Maya:** _Typo, sorry. I meant help me._

 **Mom:** _...Alright, you can go over to the Matthews', but I need to have your word that you will do your schoolwork and cleaning, and that they will all be done when I get home!_

 **Maya:** _Got it, warden. ;)_

 **Mom:** _Excuse me, missy?_

 **Maya:** _Calm down, mom. It's just a word Riley and I use as nickname for our parents._

 **Mom:** _Warden?!_

 **Maya:** _Don't you have tables to take care of?_

 **Mom:** _You're right...I'll see you tonight! Please, please don't forget to do your jobs!_

 **Maya:** _Yes, mom...um, break a dish?_

 **Mom:** _Got that covered..._

Maya quickly texted Riley back that she would be there soon, then gathered her homework, stuffed it inside her bag, and hopped nimbly down the fire escape. The safest way to travel was never by front door... she always chose windows.

* * *

"Peaches!" Riley yelled, throwing her arms around Maya's neck.

"Hey, hey, hey. At least let me get through the window!" She protested.

Maya slipped inside, plopped on the window seat, and then looking at her best friend, rolled her eyes and nodded her consent.

"Yay!" She hugged her tightly. "The stepmother let you go...wait, she did right? You didn't sneak out, right?"

"No, honey," Maya smirked. "I even brought my homework, so you can do it for me."

"Oh, good—what do you mean _I'll_ do it for you?" Riley leaned back.

"Hey, if I don't have someone do it, they'll suspend me again just for bad grades!"

The brunette sighed, and crossed her legs. "How long is the suspension for?"

"10 days."

"10 days?!" she cried.

"Hey," Maya pointed out. "It could be a lot worse, you know."

"Yes, way to think positive!" Riley's face brightened.

"A little hard though, when it hurts to smile." The blonde pointed to her face.

"Aw." She looked at her friend with big, brown doe eyes. "At least now you look fierce, huh? Though I still don't think you should have done that. Did it have anything to do with your insecurity?"

She shook her head in response. "Let's not start this, Riles."

"But—"

Maya held up a hand. "Nope. Not going to do it. I'd rather write my essay on stupid plants."

"Okay, fine...for now. But, please promise me you won't do that again, and you aren't going to sneak out during your grounding."

"Can't promise that, Riley," she shrugged.

Riley jaw dropped, and she slammed her hands down on the seat. "You're already planning something, aren't you?"

"Me?" Maya raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you know it."

"I don't want you to get in more trouble, Peaches! I need my bad, bad influence!" she cried.

"Well, as your bad, bad influence, I need to recharge."

"Why?" Riley huffed, and crossed her arms.

"Because otherwise, I won't have any bad to be your influence," she reminded.

"Fine, but now we get to work on homework, because you have to balance out your evil side," Riley proposed, still not happy with the arrangement.

"Okay, but please, don't turn the questions into a Riley Game Show again," Maya whined, resting her head on the window and staring up at her friend, who was already gathering her schoolbooks.

"I can't promise that, because I am a good, good influence!" she hummed, pleased to have mocked her friend; it didn't happen very often.

Maya stared at her, and sighed. "Just tell me Lucas and Farkle and Zay aren't going to pop their heads in here, and "help" us with studying? 'Cause they never actually do, you know."

Riley smiled, glancing from her to the window behind her. "How about you just don't look behind you?"

* * *

"Mom, I think the world is falling apart," Riley declared as she looked up from the papers in front of her.

"And why is that, Riley?" She raised her eyebrows at her daughter, laying down the pen she was writing with.

"She's smart, mom..." She furrowed her brow. "She got most of these right."

"Who?" Topanga asked, completely lost.

"Who? Who else? Maya!"

"Really? Can I see that?" Her mother took the homework and scanned it thoughtfully. "Well, this is good, honey. You and your friends are turning out to be great teachers."

"But, if she got those all right, how come she never gets good grades in school? I mean her last test was a D!"

Mrs. Matthews rested her arms on the table. "I'm not pretending to understand Maya, but here's what I think about this, because I've watched her for a while now. She doesn't care enough about it, because it's not important to her so, she doesn't try... There's also a possibility that she doesn't believe enough that she can do the work, and if she doesn't think she can, she won't..."

Riley was starting to understand, and she wondered if maybe her mom was actually spot on.

"But, please don't take my word for it, honey," her mother reminded. "We can only see one part of people unless they open themselves up, and Maya doesn't do that very often. So, we can't really know what's going on inside her head; the only one who knows is Maya herself."

"I don't think she does," Riley leaned back, her mind working furiously.

* * *

Oh, she was going to sneak out. There was never any doubt about that; just where she was going to go in the first place. Maya thought about an old building she used to hang out in over by the highway, but then she remembered it had recently been demolished, and its land used in the building of a hospital.

But, then as luck would have it, her cousins on her dad's side texted her before she went over to Riley's and wanted to know if she could join them. They did this every so often, whenever they were going to do some prank or stunt, and even though Maya usually declined, they continued to text anyway. She knew they invited other people too, and she had met some of their friends before - one had even taught her how to scale a wall with just a rope quickly. What she liked about these cousins though was that they didn't care about her dad, or his family; in fact, they disliked him just as much as she did. And so even though her father had left and she scarcely heard from him anymore, it didn't matter. They still tried to include her.

After letting them know that she would actually be joining them this time, much to their pleasure, she began to prepare for the event. Her cousins had instructed her to bring along something she could use to do graffiti with, it didn't really matter what. So, basically, she had to procure some spray paint from somewhere. Maya couldn't remember the last time she had used spray paint. It had definitely been a long time ago, but she had a vague memory of getting grounded and banned from anything to do with art for a while and even after that, that specific art tool.

She didn't think that her mother would have made her thrown it out though, and so she knew that there would probably be some in her blue bin if she checked. Except, she didn't really want to go back into the bin though. Grabbing the edge of the container, and reluctantly sliding it out, Maya ripped the lid off and dug through the mass of jumbled art supplies. And just under some paintbrushes, were two cans of spray paint, blue and black. She smirked and rolled the cold metal cylinders between her equally cold palms. Even though there was a sprinkling of guilt, it was just part of the bigger, exhilarating feeling she got from doing something rebellious. The feeling stayed with her as she put away the box, stuffed the cans into her black bag, and pulled on her sneakers. It filled her mind as she arranged the blankets to appear in use, opened the squeaky window, and leaving a small crack; crept out and slid down her fire escape for the second time that day. And, it was all she felt by the time she reached her destination.

* * *

She spotted them crowded by an old antique store, laughing and shoving one another around. Hoping what she was doing wasn't completely suicidal, she crossed the silent street, and walked up to the group. A girl in long, black jeans and equally black hair turned around at the sound of Maya approaching.

"Hey, Hart actually showed up!" She smirked, and nudged the guy beside her.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Maya raised an eyebrow, shouldering her bag.

"You still remember us?" the girl asked.

"Some of you," Maya admitted.

"Well, we should probably refresh your memory, huh? People call me Coco, and this is my boyfriend Ace," Coco said, referring to the boy who was standing right next her.

She listed off a couple of other names, but the only one that caught her attention was the one at the end. Her, she remembered.

"...and that's Jazz. She's the one in charge, so any complaints you got, take to her; but be careful. She'll bite when threatened." At this, Coco snickered and crossed her arms.

Jazz was tall, and she seemed to radiate confidence. Her clothes perfectly matched her personality and the mood of the night. She wore a green jacket, ripped jeans, and long, brown boots, all accented by the black choker around her tan neck. Jazz rested her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips.

"Be careful not to scare her off. We finally got her to join us, so let's try to keep her here this time. Although, she's looks like maybe she could hold her own." The girl smiled in Maya's direction referring to her black eye; but Maya could tell it wasn't genuine.

"Did you get the stuff?" Coco asked.

Maya nodded and gestured to her backpack. "All in here."

"Good." Ace nodded. "We should probably head out then."

The group grinned in anticipation, and grabbed individual bags and assorted items. Jazz took the lead, clutching her own duffel bag, and striding purposefully down the sidewalk. Everyone followed, still laughing, but quieter now, and Maya took a place in the middle next to Coco and some other girls. She did remember that she had to establish her place in the beginning, or else she would be regarded as lowest on the totem pole, and blamed for every mishap. The blonde had already been there, and she wasn't going to do it again. Now, she was doing something bigger than what she'd done before. This was going to be very interesting, and Maya couldn't wait.

* * *

Maya drew the blue spray paint from her bag, and let out a huge breath as she ran her fingers over the cold metal. It was ridiculous, but she felt like whatever happened next could be potentially influential on her future, and she didn't know why. Maya rolled her eyes at her own oddity, and turned her attention to more important things.

She had been ready to paint the building with blue, but a large hand gestured for her to hand over the spray paint, and instead it was replaced with a red can. Shaking her head in confusion, she walked away skeptically, trying not to seem too reluctant to give away her spray paint.

She regarded the scene before her, taking in the brick walls, benches and trees that surrounded her. They looked eerily familiar, and a pit in the bottom of her stomach formed along with the anxious fluttering of butterflies. This was her school. The school that she and her friends went to. The school she was suspended from.

Maya looked around as if someone knew, even though she was aware that overly paranoid and ridiculous. This was the part where she decided not to do it, right? No, that didn't make any sense. Why should the fact that this was a school that she went to control or change her decisions? It shouldn't. It wouldn't.

"Okay, have at it." Jazz spread her arms out wide, and grinned, breaking her moment of silent contemplation.

Maya strode to one of the walls, and stared blankly at it. There was a moment of hesitation as a little voice that rarely came up surfaced, telling her not to do it. She ignored it; she needed to do something to get rid of her insecurity, and maybe this would help. At least she was getting back into something that was kind of comfortable; being reckless and stupid. She seemed to excel in that class. Shaking the can, and pressing the nozzle, she etched out a familiar phrase. Maya liked it there; all big and obvious. Apparently, so did Jazz. She had been watching her, and she came up behind Maya, and nodded in approval.

"Okay, Hart. Good start," Jazz said, and then left to do her own damage.

In her place, Coco appeared, and smirked at her writing.

" _Hope is for suckers_...I like it. Great message."

Maya laughed a little. "Thanks."

The other girl began a drawing of some weird creature.

"Hey, aren't you like an art person?" she asked.

"I used to be," Maya replied, starting another word.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. It's just not working out so much anymore, I guess," she shrugged.

"Well, this isn't the best job for you then, huh?"

"I can still write," Maya pointed out.

"I don't know. You were never good with words," Coco taunted.

"Neither were you," she retorted.

"You remember me now?" the black haired girl asked in surprise.

"Yah, a little bit," Maya admitted. "You taught me how to climb a rope, didn't you?"

"Nah, that was Jazz," She waved the question off.

"I was hoping not," The blonde muttered.

"But, I was the one who showed you how to run fast." Coco smiled, and laughed.

"From the cops."

Coco nodded, still grinning, but then turned around suddenly as a boy tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to drop her can with a loud clang.

"You can't do that to someone, you know?" She glared at the newcomer, picking up her spray paint.

"Sorry, not my fault you scare easily," he smirked, and then noticing Maya, his face turned to one of disbelief and shock.

"Maya?" He walked closer, trying to see her clearer.

"Hey, Josh." She tried to hide her own surprise.

"What in the world are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you..." Maya crossed her arms. "Aren't you like a goody two shoes?"

"Him?" Coco laughed.

Maya raised her eyebrows at her, and she leaned back and gave Josh a hard look.

"Something of an actor are you?" The older girl accused.

He ignored her, still looking at Maya. "You could get in huge trouble, you know."

"So could you," she retorted, glaring at him now.

"Yah, but I'm the one who's legally an adult," he challenged.

"Then, shouldn't you be smart enough not to be here?" the small, blonde taunted. "You should be thinking about your future...speaking of which, how's college?"

"College?" Coco asked confused. "No way Josh got into college."

"We're not going to talk about me, okay? How about _your_ future, then huh? And how do you even know these people?" he demanded as he ignored the other girl.

"Oh, and who made you king?" Maya set down her can.

"Stop ignoring my questions!" Josh exclaimed.

"Then stop ignoring mine!" she countered.

He started pacing, much to Coco's amusement.

"You know I have to take you home, right?"

"You are not in charge of me...no one is." Maya seethed. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I'm older than you!"

"Oh, real mature," she mocked. "What are we, in preschool?"

Jazz noticed the commotion, and ran over, irritation written all over her face.

"If you two want to attract attention, please, continue your loud argument," she warned, looking between the two, and then added, "We're not that far from the police station!"

"Oh, hey Jazz." Josh's composure changed as he addressed her.

"Yah, hey. Can you be quiet now?" she asked.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to tell Maya that she can't be here." He glared down at the girl.

"Hart?" Jazz glanced at her. "Nah, she's cool...she wrote that."

Josh stared at the " _Hope is for suckers_ " in glistening red paint.

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Look, don't you think she's a little young to be hanging out with you guys?"

"I don't know...I always take care of my cousins." Jazz slung an arm around Maya's slim shoulders, the first contact she had seen her give anyone.

The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You two are related?"

"Oh, yah. We go way back," Maya nodded, forcing a small smile.

"Okay, well I'm ending it now." Josh grabbed her wrist, and she attempted to wrench it free.

"What's your deal, huh? Why do you care so much?" Coco spoke up, curiosity in her voice.

"She's my niece's best friend...she's kind of like a second one to me. I feel responsible, and if I don't take her home, my family and hers will have _my_ head too," he admitted.

"That's sweet..." Jazz narrowed her eyes. "But, she's right. You aren't in charge of her."

Maya looked at her gratefully before turning back to Josh. "And if you take me home, I'll just keep coming back. No one is in charge of me, can walk over me, or insult me or my friends, got it?"

He raised his hands defensively. "I'm not insulting you, Maya."

She walked up to him and looked him dead in the eye.

"I just want to make sure you understand. Clear?"

Coco and Jazz smirked.

"I think he does." The girls flanked the blonde. "Right, Josh?"

Josh looked from girl to girl, different emotions displayed on his face.

"Fine. Do whatever you want with your life. But, don't say I didn't warn you." He walked away then, hands in his pockets, head bent against the wind.

Coco faced Maya, and punched her lightly in the arm.

"Hey, I think you just made the cut. You're made of tough stuff, Hart."

"Agreed." Jazz grinned. "I guess we'll be seeing you around more often, yah?"

Maya nodded, and picking up the spray paint again, turned back to the wall. She had a job to finish; this school hadn't seen the last of Maya Hart.


	6. Something Different

_**Author's Note: Thank you once again for those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! I don't really have anything to say this time except for: please don't forget to review! It makes me want to keep writing, because I love hearing feedback, whether it's a good note or constructive criticism! So, go ahead and comment! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 11-28-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Six: Something Different

She probably would have thrown the phone out the window, except her mother opened her door, bringing a smile and a "good morning" wake up call.

"Hey, Baby Girl. I'm headed off to the diner, so you know the rules: no friends, no sneaking out, and yes on the chores getting done," Ms. Hart listed as she peeked her head in through the crack of the door.

Maya rolled her head to face her mother, not fully awake yet. She was already in a bad mood, because the first thing she had woken up to was a text message, and she couldn't express how much she didn't want to get up and be productive.

"Can I at least go and see Riley today? We were planning on meeting up at the park later if you said yes," she asked grumpily.

"Again? You just saw each other 3 days ago!" Her mother came in fully.

"She's my best friend, mom." Maya reminded.

"Yes, and you're _her_ best friend, who _also_ happens to be grounded!"

"Fine," she snapped, and turned to lay on her back, as she glared up at the ceiling.

Her mother groaned, and leaned against the doorway, rubbing her forehead.

"I am such a pushover...Yes, you may go, as long as you realize this is the last time. After this, I am enforcing the grounding...for real this time."

"Okay, thank you—" At her mother's gesture to go on, she rolled her eyes and continued. " _And_ I will get all of my chores and homework finished again, I understand."

"Great." Ms. Hart brightened. "Have a good day, sweetie, and I will see you later tonight, okay?"

Maya nodded at her mother, watched her close the door, and sighed as she realized she had to get up. She didn't want to deal with picking out an outfit, which lately now took her almost a half-hour to decide. What was wrong with her? Even just thinking about it made her feel vain; who takes 30 minutes to choose something to wear? And then she had to put on makeup, making sure to cover up her swollen, black and blue eye, and all the little cuts and bruises that were healing quickly, but were still there. Then of course, there was the stuff that didn't have to with her appearance - chores, homework...

Her life right now kind of felt like a movie on replay, done over and over again. She got in trouble, dealt with the consequences, did something else, got grounded. And that was just the overview. Everyday felt the same too. Her daily routine, the insecurity filling it all, chores, homework, hang out with her friends, attempt to draw, sneak out at night. Maybe that was part of the reason Maya felt like she needed to do something with her cousins; it was exciting, it was rebellious, it was a break from her tedious and boring life. It felt good, too. They didn't rag on her like her friends tended to do, even if they meant well, or treat her different because she was a little younger than them. Maya actually felt like she belonged, even if it had only been 3 days.

Her phone buzzed, and Maya stretched a hand lazily to pick it up, blinking at the screen as it turned on, the brightness hurting her eyes.

 **Riley:** _Did your mom say yes?!_

 **Maya:** _I'll meet you guys there around 4, okay?_

 **Riley:** _Yay! :D_

And as much as she loved Riley, everyone needed a vacation from Rileytown every once in a while, and that's exactly what her cousins offered. A break, a relief, and a place where she could let loose a little bit. It felt like freedom.

* * *

"She'll be here, Riley." Lucas looked up at his friend as she paced, chuckling a little bit at her ridiculousness.

"Yah, don't worry Riley," Zay mocked, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "I know the world depends on your friendship, but I think a couple more minutes won't kill you."

She stomped over to him and huffed, her breath creating a tiny puff in the chilly, fall air.

"Maya's already—" She glanced over at Farkle hopefully.

He sighed, sick of playing this game. "3 minutes and 7...8...9—"

"Seconds late!" Riley finished.

"How about 10?" Maya asked, walking into the clearing.

"Acceptable, but not to be tolerated in the future!" She raised her nose in the air teasingly, turning her head towards her friend.

"Yah, I'll keep that in mind. Hey, Huckleberry, Robot, Zay." She looked at each one in turn.

"Wait, how come I don't get a nickname?" Zay asked, clearly offended. "Everyone else has one."

"Oh, you want one?" Maya raised her eyebrows.

"You have a death wish." Farkle cocked his head at the boy.

Zay smiled at him, then directed his attention back to Maya.

"Yah, I do. Let's see what you got!"

"Oh, just shut up, Nutcracker." She smirked.

"And there it is." Lucas laughed.

"It's always about the ballet," Zay muttered, thoughtfully chewing on a piece of popcorn. "I have made some bad decisions in my life, man."

"So," Riley skipped up to Maya, and linked arms with her, much to her friend's dismay. "How's your grounding been?"

"Yah, have you snuck out yet?" Farkle grinned.

"None of your business..." Maya replied primly.

"Where do you think she went?" Lucas asked, leaning forward, an amused look on his face.

"Oh, I don't know. Probably somewhere where people like to ride on fire-breathing horses, and there's no school. Or maybe a place where volcanoes cover the world and there's a 24/7 food fight," Zay guessed.

"That would be awesome!" Maya agreed, nodding her head. "But no."

"Ah, so she finally admits to her crime of sneaking out!" Lucas announced triumphantly.

Riley turned back to Maya, a pout on her lips.

"You promised you wouldn't sneak out, Peaches."

"Actually, I think that's the thing I said I'd specifically _not_ promise," Maya corrected.

"So, are you going to tell us where you _did_ go?" Farkle leaned back against the green, wooden bench.

"Maybe, some other time." She sat down next to Lucas, with Riley beside her.

"Okay, then you get to tell me how your homework is going."

Everyone groaned. "Farkle."

Maya rolled her eyes, but Riley answered for her, eagerness filling her voice.

"Wonderful! We did some on Friday, and she got an A- on her history questions!"

"You graded them?" the blonde asked in disbelief.

"Every. Single. One."

Maya shook her head, and threw up her hands.

"I will never understand you."

"You got an A-? No way," Zay scoffed. "You could barely get a C."

"Hey, Nutcracker, watch it. You and I both know the same song very well."

He smirked. "Yah, I do."

"What song?" Farkle asked in confusion.

"You know," Maya laughed and cleared her throat. "D-D-D-D-D-D-F."

The rest of the group looked at the two in confusion, as they practically burst out laughing.

"That's why we're on _this_ side of the room now." Riley nodded slowly, still watching the other two.

"No kidding," Lucas agreed.

"Okay, so how much longer is the suspension, Maya?" Farkle spoke over their antics.

"Uh, like a week?" Maya squinted, the last of her chuckling dying down.

"And then it's back to school with you!" Riley hugged her. "I missed having you in History. And in English. Oh, and Math, Science, and P.E."

"That's real sweet, honey." Maya said, returning the hug.

"And we're not going to get in any more trouble, right?" Lucas added. "I know we haven't really discussed your whole fight thing, but you're not going to repeat it, correct?"

She sighed. "Don't wish too hard, Ranger Rick."

"Maya—" He started.

"Hey, speaking of trouble, are any of you involved in the school's community service thing?" Zay interrupted.

"I am," Lucas answered, sounding a little irritated.

"Ha. Guess what you get to clean next week?" Zay laughed.

"Let me guess. The school itself?" Farkle replied.

"Yup! Man, Lucas. You're in for a lot of fun."

"You should join me, then," he scowled.

Zay shook his head vigorously.

"It was your own fault for signing up in the first place!"

"Hey, I get extra credit!"

"Wait, why do you have to clean the school?" Maya asked, trying to seem ignorant and nonchalant, though she felt heat rush to her cheeks.

"You didn't hear?" Riley said in shock.

"Obviously not. What happened?" she shrugged, continuing to play along. There was no way she was admitting that she had done the vandalism.

"Some kids basically decided it would be fun to spray paint the whole outside of our school." Lucas replied angrily. "Seriously, like everything; the walls, the benches, the sidewalks."

"It's a mess." Farkle added.

Maya paled, her heart thumping a little. Why was it so hard for her to be calm about this? She had hidden tons of things before, hadn't she?

Just not necessarily from her friends, and certainly not this big. Maya tried to clear all of her emotions from her face, but it was too late, as her friends had already taken notice of her expression.

"Maya?" Riley shook her arm in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yah, I'm fine, Riles. Just—thinking."

"About what?"

"How seriously unlucky I am." she allowed herself to utter.

The rest of the group looked at each other in confusion, but they knew they would find out what she meant later; they always did.

* * *

"Maya's back! Back in school!" Riley hummed. "Today is the day, that she comes back!"

"Do you have to sing everything?" Farkle sighed.

"My life is one, big sparkly musical, Farkle. I have no choice," she responded happily.

Lucas sat down in his seat, and leaned forward.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"How life is one big song and dance number," Farkle shrugged. "So, the usual."

"I thought you liked plays and musicals," Lucas said.

"I do. In moderation."

The bell rang, and Mr. Matthews didn't appear. Riley immediately started watching the clock so she could time how long he was gone for.

"That's weird," Lucas remarked. "He hasn't done that for awhile, now."

"Well, it usually means something different or exciting is going to happen, so we should expect some kind of special lesson or event," Farkle guessed.

Almost a minute after he said that, Mr. Matthews walked in with an odd expression on his face.

"I'm sorry for being late, I was helping someone find their way back to the classroom."

A small figure slipped into the room; and Farkle, Lucas, and Zay gaped at her, trying to find something to say. Riley on the other hand had no problems, as she wasn't even paying attention.

"Daddy, you were 2 minutes late. You're a teacher; you _have_ to be here, no exceptions." Riley turned around to face Farkle, smiling proudly. "See, I timed it myself this time."

"That's great, look at Maya now, okay?" He pointed to the figure.

"Maya's here? Yay, now everything can get back to normal!" Her smile faded quickly. "Peaches, what have you done?"

Maya looked over her clothes, scanning them for a flaw.

"Um, you don't like the jeans?"

"No! What did you do to your hair?" Riley shrieked.

"Trying something new." Maya shrugged, sliding into her seat.

"Well, that's definitely new," Lucas agreed, in surprise.

"So, guys. Does anyone remember where we left off on Friday?" Mr. Matthews had finally managed to wipe the shocked look on his face, and get back into his teaching mode.

"Were we studying nuclear based things?" Zay asked, his eyes fixed on Maya's hair.

She flipped around and gave him a warning smile.

"I just dyed it blue, okay? Will you calm down?"

"It's _blue_ , Maya!" Riley reminded, concerned.

She turned to her friend, knowing how to win her over, at least temporarily.

"You know what else is blue? The ocean. And you know what's in the ocean? Pretty little fishies and happy dolphins."

Riley's face turned to one of pleasure and her eyes sparkled happily.

"Oh, nee," Farkle said, switching to Dutch, and face palming like a cartoon character.

"Riley's gone," Lucas said sadly.

"If it's alright with you four, I'd like to get back to teaching now, okay?" Mr. Matthews glared pointedly at them. "Great. So, we were actually studying about art, remember? All different kinds of art; modern, renaissance, abstract, realism, and so much more. We were discussing how art is important to us, and why it is so influential in our world and of course, history."

"You pointed out yesterday how important it still is by the evidence we have in our everyday lives." Smackle spoke up.

"Can you give us an example?"

"Certainly. For one; we have so many art museums in our communities. I believe you couldn't go anywhere without bumping into at least one. This—"

Smackle was interrupted by a commotion outside, and all of the students in the classroom grew quiet and tried to listen hard to what was going on. All it took was for them to hear the word _rat_ , before they exploded themselves, and ran out of the room, screaming their heads off. Except for the small group of friends, and Mr. Matthews, naturally.

"My question is, why would they run _towards_ the danger?" Smackle remarked. "Hmm, interesting experiment idea."

"It's just a rat," Lucas shrugged. "We saw those all the time in Texas."

"Not New York rats; they're everywhere." Farkle shuddered.

"What Farkle is attempting to tell you, is that our rats are pretty terrifying compared to your small town country rodents." Maya smirked.

"They're really, really big!" Riley added, with wide eyes.

"There can't be that much of a difference."

Lucas got up, and peeked out the door, frozen as a rat the size of a small cat scurried down the hallway.

"I stand corrected."

"Does nobody want to know how they got out in the first place?" Zay asked. "I mean, how random is that?"

"Here's an idea," Smackle made an attempt at sarcasm. "Why don't you ask Ms. Blue Hair?"

Maya crossed her arms and stood up.

"Here's another one; mind your own business!"

"Did you do it, Maya?" Farkle asked suspiciously.

"Maybe...And even if I did, what's the big deal? They're just rats," she responded indifferently.

"The big deal, Ms. Hart, is that you have created a problem." Mr. Matthews spoke up from his desk, where he had been watching their conversation. "You have disrupted classes, released rats into a school building, and now we have to round up all the students, calm them down, and try to make up for the loss of class time."

"I didn't say I did it!" Maya exclaimed. "And anyway, it's not my fault my classmates are all wimps."

"Okay, then let's assume for the moment that I'm an innocent bystander." Mr. Matthews began, much to Maya's irritation. "Why did your teacher have to escort you to class? Why were you late? What perhaps might you have been doing?"

"I'm telling you, I didn't do it." She insisted. "All of that doesn't _have_ to be relevant, you know."

"Just cut it out now, okay? Maya, we all know it was you. We're not dumb." Lucas said sharply.

She gave a warning glance towards him, though not expecting that he would give her stare for stare. Maya was about to snap at Lucas, when the principal came storming down the hallway, and spotting the few students in a classroom, turned into the room.

"I'm surprised to see you in here," Mr. Douglas commented. "Everyone else is long gone."

"We are not fazed by some inferior species. We have chosen to stay in here, and display the calmness and intelligence demonstrated by a higher kind," Smackle spoke up, still standing in the same spot.

"There's that." Zay said, raising his eyebrows at her. "But, it was kinda' just like my apartment; we see rats all the time...there's this one rat—I named it Maya—that comes every day, and we always give it food."

"You named it Maya?" The girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"It seemed appropriate." Zay grinned. "Though now, I may have to dye it blue..."

Mr. Douglas cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your very interesting story, but if anyone knows how rats got into our building, please let me know. We need to make sure to set traps if they're getting in, or seal up the holes."

"Oh, we know." Farkle mumbled.

"How do you know?" The principal asked with interest.

"Maya did it! She's a bad, bad influence!" Riley blurted out.

"Riley!" Maya cried in exasperation.

"I'm no good for you if I can't be your good influence!" She explained.

"Ms. Hart. It's hasn't even been a day yet, and you're already causing problems? Obviously you haven't learned your lesson." Mr. Douglas shook his head.

"Okay, you know what?" Maya exclaimed, standing up on her desk to gather everyone's attention. "No one has any evidence. You can't blame me for this."

"Perhaps we're going off of past experiences." Smackle raised her eyebrows.

"Regardless, it _would_ be nice to have my friends believe that I can do good things." She said pointedly.

"That's fair." Farkle admitted reluctantly.

"It is," Lucas agreed, folding his arms. "So, we'll give you a _fair_ chance. Did you or did you not let the rats loose?"

Everyone looked at Maya, who rolled her eyes, and threw up her hands in defeat; not able to lie any longer. "Okay, fine, I may have let a few rats loose. But, no one got hurt, right?"

"Wrong, and I have already given reasons as to why there was damage done." Mr. Matthews reminded. "There will be consequences, Maya."

"Let me guess; I get suspended for a whole month this time?" Maya smirked.

"Oh, I have no intention of taking you away from learning." her principal spoke up with no trace of clemency in his grim face.

"What to do you mean?" She asked suspiciously.

"How do you feel about community service, Ms. Hart?" Mr. Douglas asked.


	7. The Project

_**Author's Note:**_ _ **Please don't forget to REVIEW! And thanks to everyone who has already followed, favorited, and reviewed! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **I have an idea of where this story is going to go, but to be honest I am a little nervous about it. So, I really hope you like it! You'll start to see that in this chapter, so let me know what you think about it so far!  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 11-28-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!  
**_

* * *

Chapter Seven: The Project

"The blue hair is definitely an interesting statement."

"Yah, whatever," Maya scowled.

Mr. Douglas ignored her attitude, and continued to walk her down the hallway. They reached the front doors, and pushing them open, she saw a group of about 10-15 students waiting with supplies in hand. Spotting Lucas, she groaned, and ran a hand through her hair. She had forgotten that, as a community service volunteer, he would be a part of this.

"Good afternoon! I'm pleased to see you are already to go, and now you have one more volunteer to help you with the cleaning." Mr. Douglas smiled warmly at all the students. "Good luck."

As he left, the teenagers eyed Maya with suspicion, causing her to glare at them in return. She had been getting a lot of glaring lately from her fellow students, but it wasn't something she wasn't used to. After all, she was well known for her pranks, and while most students would relish the added delays, it sometimes affected them negatively in some way. Besides, the people who usually applauded her boldness, were the kind of kids that hung out in the back of the room, not these goody-two shoes community service kids.

Lucas waved for the group to start, and walked over to her, a can of paint thinner in his hand.

"Ever done this before, Shortstack?" he asked.

She shook her head, dreading the moment where she would have to look at the walls, and face in broad daylight the damage she had done. Once she saw the graffiti, it was going to make the pretending just that much harder.

"Okay, well there are 2 different ways to do this." Lucas headed to one of the walls. "One way is using paint thinner, which we'll be using. Another way is to use a pressure washer, which is way easier, but we only have one of those."

"So, how do you determine who gets what?" Maya asked.

"Oh, we usually just take turns."

"Seriously?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Not everyone solves things by fighting," Lucas replied.

"Jeez, low blow, Cowboy."

"We do eventually have to use a hose or the pressure washer. Once we apply the paint thinner, we let it sit, and then we'll need to wipe it off with water," He added.

"Okay, let's get this over and done with," Maya sighed, and accepted the wire brush he was holding out to her.

"You know this is your own fault, right?" Lucas reminded, starting on a scribble that neither of them could decipher.

"Well, maybe I was just a little bored. There's nothing wrong with that." She dipped her brush into the can.

"Maybe not being bored, but really? Rats?"

"Hey, it could have been snakes."

"Now, _those_ we have plenty of down in Texas. And this time, our snakes beat _your_ measly ones," Lucas said triumphantly.

"Whatever makes you happy, Huckleberry."

"So, I know I'm going to regret asking, but what's up with the blue hair?"

Maya looked for the next thing to take off, and spotting the red " _Hope is for suckers_ ", quickly turned her attention to getting it off immediately.

"Like I said, something different."

"Yah, but this is a little out there even for you, don't you think?" Lucas asked, working at the creature Coco had painted.

She couldn't help but watch as he did, and couldn't believe that she had been there last week. And now here was Ranger Rick, standing 2 feet away from her crime, and much to her dismay, it filled her with an inkling of guilt. Why should she care what he thought?

"Um, Maya?" Lucas waved a hand in front of her face.

"Mm?"

"You kinda zoned out for a minute there," he smiled.

"Oh," she said as she looked back at the wall blankly.

He squinted at her. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on. There's obviously something going on." Lucas sighed in exasperation.

"No, there's not. Leave me alone," Maya snapped and slapped some paint thinner onto the wall.

"Will you just stop?"

"Stop what?"

"Hiding! You push your friends away, and won't even tell them what's bothering you!" he replied in annoyance. "We just want to know what's going on."

"Fine, you know what? You want to know about me?" Maya dropped her brush into the can, and glared up at Lucas. "You got it."

"Okay, hang on." He put his own brush down, and leaned against a clean spot on the brick wall. "I'm not saying you need to tell me everything about you. How about we just exchange stories?"

"And why would I want to know your Huckleberry stories?" she mocked.

He sighed. "More stuff?"

Smiling evilly, she rested against the wall too, and gestured for him to start.

"Why do I have to go first?" he complained.

"Because it was your idea, hop a' long. Now let's hear it."

Lucas complied reluctantly. "Okay, so there was this one time where I had a cow basically follow me around all day. I went out to the barn one morning, and Bella literally knocked down her pen door, and trotted over to me. So, I ignored it, but then, I was on my porch doing my homework, and she stuck her snout in my face. She had actually climbed up the stairs, and walked over to find me. At this point, I was done with our apparently needy cow, so I went inside where I knew I would be safe...I have never been so wrong; she took our salad that time."

Maya burst out laughing. "So, you had a cow fall in love with you?"

"You had to take it that way?" Lucas groaned.

"Wait, wait. Now I can actually call you Cow Boy!" Maya's jaw dropped.

"I should have known this was a mistake." He said regretfully, picking up his brush, and going back to work.

"Aw, Cowboy missing his cow friends?"

"Ha ha. Your turn now." Lucas glared at the small girl.

"Well, there was this one day that I remember really well. Actually, it's one of the last good memories I have of my dad... We were going to a park, and it was cloudy, but I liked it because it meant no one else was there; it was just me and my dad. And then, I think I was on the swings, and he was sitting nearby watching me, and it started to rain really hard. I started crying and freaking out because I thought our whole day was ruined. My dad calmed me down, and started dancing with me, around and around in a circle." Maya bit her lip. "I still love the rain."

"See, was that so hard?" He smiled genuinely.

"It doesn't matter if I like the rain anymore, though," she said, still caught up in her memories.

"How come?" Lucas asked in confusion.

" 'Cause I'd become a blonde again if I stayed out in it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Obviously, the water would wash out my blue dye!" Maya exclaimed pointing to her hair.

Lucas laughed. "What's so bad with being blonde? I liked it."

Her stomach fluttered a little, much to her dismay and annoyance.

"Yah, well things change. So does my hair."

"Nothing wrong with that either," he agreed.

* * *

"What do you think about us, Hart?"

Maya lowered her arm, and, glancing once more at the spray painted words she had just written, looked at Jazz with suspicion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, pulling a page from Huckleberry's book.

"It means what it means. What do you think about us?" Coco replied impatiently.

Maya narrowed her eyes. She had walked into plenty of traps before, and she wasn't sure if this was a trick question. So, naturally Maya didn't like it, but she never had a choice in anything.

"I think you need to work on your 'Rs'." Maya smirked, gesturing towards the writing Coco had just done.

Jazz laughed. "That's true. Your 'Rs' look a whole lot like 'Vs'."

"Ha ha, I'm serious, Hart," Coco sneered.

"Okay, I guess you guys are pretty cool." Maya conceded, shrugging.

"That's it? That's all you got to say about us?"

Maya grew a little nervous, but stuck out her chin and straightened so she appeared taller. "Yah, I think it sums you up pretty well, don't you?"

Jazz looked at Coco with an amused smile, and turned back to the blue haired girl.

"Calm down. We're just messing with you." She said.

"Oh...okay," Maya said, still a little confused.

"So, you think you'll be hanging out with us, then? Like a permanent sort of thing?" Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"Yah, I might just stick around," she teased.

"Great, cuz if you're going to be here with us, and you're serious about sticking with it, we could really use your help with something."

"Okay...what is it?" Maya asked curiously, setting down her spray paint.

"We're leaving. Permanently. Well, almost the whole group, except for Josh and Destiny," Jazz started, leading the other two to a bench so they could sit.

"Leaving? Where?" Maya asked, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

"Not sure yet, but we'll be gone soon."

"Why?"

The older girl sighed, and crossed her legs. "Lots of reasons, Hart."

Her tone made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it, and that was fine with Maya. She'd been in that same predicament before. "Okay, well how I am supposed to help?"

"Well, we're not leaving just yet," Coco spoke up, a smirk plastered across her face. "We have to leave a little something behind."

"Like...?"

"I don't know. What do you call something you want everyone to know you for, that they remember you by?" she asked out loud.

"A legacy?"

"Yah, kind of like that." Jazz nodded.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Maya couldn't quite explain the look that her cousin got on her face, as she asked that question. It was almost giddy, evil, and satisfied, all in one. And to be honest, it was the scariest version of her that she had seen.

"It's going to go down in parts, getting bigger and bigger, and then leading up to the final blow."

"What are you going to do?" Maya repeated, getting a little anxious at the long response.

"We call it "The Project"," Coco whispered, deadly serious now.

"Our country is known for its outstanding art abilities," Jazz grinned. "We're going to destroy that a little."

"You're going after art?" she exclaimed.

"Yah, we are." Her cousin watched her reaction carefully. "But, we're mostly going after my mom. See, she and I have a little unfinished history, and I'm giving her a piece of my mind."

"How are you going to do that?" Maya asked slowly, not sold on the idea of destroying art.

"We're going to ruin her job a little." Josh walked up to them. "That's the small part of it."

"Hey, Josh. Recover from your beat down last week with Hart? Haven't seen you since then," Jazz taunted, looking up at him.

"Figured it was time to come back now," he said.

Maya had only been half-watching their exchange, instead fixed on the plan she had just heard. No way was she going to let them attack something that important, not just to her, but to everyone else too. But, she didn't even know their full plan yet.

"Shouldn't you explain your idea, now?" She asked, ignoring Josh.

"Probably," Coco agreed. "Here's the thing. Jazz's mom founded and now manages this big art museum, and she's totally invested in it. It's like her baby. We're going to start small, like we said, but the ultimate goal is to ruin _that_ museum in the end; it will be our final attack before we leave. So, to spell it out for you; we're going to ruin others people's art."

Her stomach dropped. "Like, with spray paint? Draw over someone else's paintings?"

"That's one method," Coco laughed. "But, there are other ways, too."

"Do you have any idea how long it takes to create something?" Maya suddenly straightened in anger. "How much work is put into each little detail, each little line? Having to consider what exact color is needed, and then using the right technique, to make it perfect? Because it's not just "art", it's like a window into someone else's soul; because whatever they created, was so important to them, that it just came out. They couldn't hold it in anymore."

"I thought you weren't an art person, anymore," Coco challenged.

"I'm not," Maya admitted.

"And we may not know all that, but you obviously do. So, you would know _perfectly_ how to damage all those masterpieces wouldn't you?" Jazz's face was menacing.

"I can't do it, I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"Thought you were going to hang around, Hart. You said you would help...and guess what? You _will_. Because you know, and I know, that's the smartest decision, isn't it?" She said calmly, already realizing she had Maya in the palm of her hand; right where she wanted her to be.

"Yah, you're right," she said quietly.

"Good."

Josh turned to the blue haired girl. "You don't have to do this, Maya."

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" She glared at him, her eyes flashing. Maya just wished he'd stop with his irritating concern act, it was unnecessary and infuriating.

"I just don't want you to be forced into anything! This isn't exactly safe or smart!" He cried.

"Not smart, huh? Well, tell you what. If you don't involve yourself with this, I promise not to have anything to do with it either," she bargained, already knowing his answer.

"Good luck with that one." Coco looked up at Josh, amusement written all over her face. "He's not just involved; he's going to help us break into the big museum."

"How's he going to do that?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I work there," he mumbled.

She snorted. "Oh, yah. This is pretty good."

"Hey, your lives depend on me!" he reminded.

"Don't you think that's a little dramatic, Josh?" Jazz said.

"Um, no I don't. You do realize we could easily get thrown in jail for this, right?" He looked pointedly at Maya, who ignored him.

"Yes," she answered nonchalantly. "But, really? We _depend_ on you?"

"Okay, then please. Enlighten me on how you're going to break in without an employee who conveniently knows the whole place by heart, and has a key." Josh crossed his arms.

"I don't know, use Maya as an art tracking device?" Coco joked.

"Admit it; you need me."

"Fine," she groaned.

"Seriously, you guys are all just okay with this?" Maya spoke up suddenly.

"Yah. We are." Jazz looked at the younger girl. "And so will you."

"What makes you so sure?" she demanded.

"Hey, you're already heading down that road. Look what you're doing now, Hart! I know better than anyone, because I've been there before, and now it's your turn." She answered, her voice full of anger and betrayal, as she remembered the events of her past.

"But, I'm not you," Maya stated.

"Oh, I know that, Hart. But you and I are pretty alike," Jazz remarked. "And I like to think I know myself."

"So, are you going to do it or not?" Coco asked impatiently.

Maya looked from her to Jazz to Josh, all whom were watching her with speculation. She knew that if she didn't do it, her cousin would be out to get her anyway, but she tried to think about the plan without that threat. How could she possibly destroy _art_? Using spray paint on public buildings was one thing, but going from art museum to art museum, and ruining priceless paintings and sculptures was a whole different game. Was it game she was willing to play for the heavy price, though? Maya couldn't help but remember the " _Hope is for suckers_ " box underneath her bed, and she realized that she didn't really believe in art anymore. Coco was right about that. Her whole little speech just had to be the last part of her artist's voice slipping out, and now it was gone forever. It wasn't a part of her anymore.

"Okay." She lifted her chin, and stared into their eyes. "I'll do it. I'm probably the stupidest person on earth, but I'll do it."

"There you go; there's Maya Hart." Jazz nudged her shoulder. "One fierce girl."

"When do we start?" she asked blankly.

"Soon." Josh obviously still didn't approve of Maya being involved, but he couldn't do much to stop her. "We're thinking Halloween."

"Right, when all the creeps and weirdos will be out," she nodded, smiling a little.

Jazz laughed. "Hey, be careful, you're talking about us there!"

"Don't worry. I think I'm officially a creep and weirdo now, too," Maya remarked.

"Speaking of which, really like the hair, Hart."

"You'd be the first," she sighed. "But, then again, it _was_ your idea."

"I have good taste, don't I?" Jazz leaned back, and smirked.

"Not in art, apparently," she teased.

"Oh, I do. I just don't like any of it. That's why it's all going to be gone, very soon."


	8. No Fireworks

_**Author's Note: Thank you to all of those who have already reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! It really does mean a lot! So, please don't forget to REVIEW! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Eight: No Fireworks

"You _are_ going to the dance, right?" Riley looked up from her food.

"No, I don't think so, Riles." Maya shook her head.

"Mom, tell her she _has_ to go!" she cried, whipping her head towards her mother.

"I'm not going to force her, honey." Mrs. Matthews said.

"Oh, come on. You force me and Auggie to do things all the time and Maya's practically family!"

"It's true, mommy," Auggie spoke up from his seat. "Yesterday, you told me that if I didn't eat my broccoli, you wouldn't let me watch a movie. And it was _movie_ night!"

"Auggie, don't you think you should let Maya and I talk now?" Riley asked.

"No, you let everyone else got involved with your lives! I'm staying, lady!" her brother huffed.

"Look, I just don't want to go. Nothing wrong with that," Maya stated.

"But it's your first _high school_ dance!" Riley wailed.

"She has a point Maya, you should go." Mrs. Matthews said.

"I thought you were on my side!"

"I don't think either of you should go," Mr. Matthews spoke up, setting down his fork.

"Thank you!" Maya sighed in relief.

"There will be boys at this dance, after all," he continued.

"Daddy!" Riley put her head in her hands.

"And there will be slow dances...involving said _boys_. So, no way am I letting you near any teenage _boys._ Get that? No _boys_!"

"Too bad, Riles. Guess it's settled." Maya chewed smugly on a piece of noodle; her mouth finally out of the sore stage.

"But, I already have a date!" she reminded them.

"You do? How could you not tell me?!" Her friend grabbed her face and stared at her in shock; an action that wasn't normal for the blonde. "Who is it? I didn't even know you liked anyone! Please, tell me it's not—"

"Charlie Gardner," she said dreamily.

"Okay, since when? You two had like _one_ date, and then we never saw him again. I didn't even know he went to our school!"

"He's in my Chemistry class, and we kind of reconnected after that whole Lucas thing."

"Okay, Chemistry class. Why not?" Maya muttered.

"Well, I didn't know either!" Mr. Matthews glared at his daughter. "And he's not getting inside this house."

"That's okay. We just need to get inside the school," Riley smiled, a serene and happy look on her face.

"Mommy? What's wrong with boys? I'm a boy." Auggie asked, worriedly.

"Nothing, sweetie. Daddy just wants to protect Riley from _older_ boys, so you're all good." She smiled at him reassuringly.

"What about Maya? Who's protecting her from older boys?" he looked at his father.

"Don't have to worry about me, Matthews. I don't have a date." She ran a hand through her hair.

"Is that why you don't want to go?!" Riley's mouth dropped open. "Peaches, we can get you a date! And then we can go to the dance, have a double wedding, and our kids can grow up together!"

"Slow down." Maya held up a hand. "I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon. And you don't need to find me a date, Riles. I'm perfectly fine not going...with or without a date."

"But, it's your first high school dance! It's a rite of passage, Maya!" the brunette insisted.

"Everything's a rite of passage for you." She muttered.

"Maya, is that why you didn't want to go?" Mrs. Matthews asked.

"Can you please just leave it alone?" she pleaded.

"Nope," the mother and daughter responded in unison. "You should know that's not how we work."

"Ugh, it's not fair," Maya complained.

"It's just one little dance." Riley said persuasively, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Which I don't have a date too, anyway," Her friend reminded, pointing her fork at Riley.

"No dates...I like how you think, Ms. Hart," Mr. Matthews exclaimed. "Why won't you rub off on her?"

"Why won't you?" the brunette pondered. "You're hogging all the cool, Maya!"

The blue haired girl ignored them. "Besides, it's too late to get a date. The dance is next week," she protested, taking her plate to the sink.

"What about Lucas?" Riley pointed out, excitedly. "He told me that he's not going with anyone yet."

"Riles, we decided not to have feelings for Huckleberry anymore, remember?" Maya said, but couldn't help the small dash of hope she felt.

"Yes, but now the triangle has long been over, and I don't like Lucas like that now," she said. "So, you're free to like him, Peaches!"

Maya groaned inwardly. Of course she didn't like Ranger Rick...or did she? She felt like maybe she had been hiding behind her mask for so long, that she started to believe her own lies about her feelings. Maya had hidden them extremely well, and now she was lost because she didn't know how she felt. But anyway, no, there was no way she could like Lucas...he got on her nerves, he had that slight Texan accent, he was Mr. Perfect, and he always restrained her from doing things she shouldn't— Except now, those didn't seem so bad. Darn it, was she actually falling for a Huckleberry? Again? You'd have thought she would have learned her lesson last time.

But, she was going to ignore it, and push him to the back of her mind; after all she had much more important things going on than boys.

"I don't like him like that either, Riles," Maya said blankly, walking back to her seat.

"Then go as friends, who cares?" she answered, but she could tell something was up with her friend. She would have to issue Bay Window rights soon; it was time they had a chat anyway. Riley definitely hadn't forgotten Maya's insecurity issues, and she wasn't going to let it slide.

"Fine." Maya rested her head on the table in defeat.

"Yaaaaay!" Her friend yelled, raising her arms in the air.

"Feel better now, honey?" she turned her head to face Riley.

"Yah, I do," she beamed. "You're going to the dance!"

"Hang on, you two. Shouldn't you text Lucas first?" Mrs. Matthews spoke up.

Riley's eyes widened. "Oh, no! Let's do it right now!"

"No boys! I thought I made that more than clear!" her father glowered.

"Deal with it." Riley responded primly, taking Maya's hand and leading her to her room.

"I'm so proud of you!" She grinned up at the taller girl.

Mr. Matthews started to get up, but his wife pulled him down with a disapproving look.

"Cory, leave them alone. They're just girls excited for a dance," she consoled.

"With _boys_!" he reminded.

"Don't worry daddy!" Auggie stood up, and ran over to give his father a hug. "I won't ever go to a dance with boys!"

"Good to know," he teased, and tousled his son's hair.

"Hey, hey!" The small boy protested. "I gotta' look good for my woman!"

"But, there are girls." Mr. Matthews went back to sulking.

"Oh, boy," his wife said.

* * *

"This is your fault you know." Maya glared at Riley.

"How so?" She answered innocently.

"You made Bucky McBoingBoing agree to take me to the dance!" she exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry I made sure you would have a good time, spend time with your friends, and get to relax for the night. Forgive me," Riley replied sarcastically.

"Okay, I'm still annoyed at you, but seriously, I think I'm rubbing off on you."

"Does that mean I'm rubbing off on _you_?" she asked hopefully, smiling brightly.

"Nope," Maya shook her head and grinned.

"Okay, what do you think?" Riley finished adjusting her costume.

She was dressed as a butterfly for the costume party, which Maya found completely adorable. But, as Riley put it, she was a sophisticated version of a butterfly, which was kind of true. She was wearing a flowy, mid-length, orange skirt, which they had added a strip of black and white piping to the bottom of. It matched the lace up, orange blouse which had the same edging, along with black ribbons for the laces. The bell sleeves were attached to her handmade wings, which Maya had actually made for her, and there was a thick, black belt around her waist. To top it off, she wore ankle strap, black flats—because Maya wouldn't let her wear heels—dangly, black earrings that matched her simple necklace, and her shimmery eye shadow was accented by the butterfly wings created by eyeliner. And even though the goofy antennae was nestled in her brown hair, on top of the braided bun, to be honest, she looked stunning.

"Do I look like a Monarch butterfly?" she asked, twirling giddily.

"Gosh, Riles. You look gorgeous!" Maya smiled.

"Thanks, Peaches. So do you!" Riley grinned, full of excitement and pride.

"Stop it." They smirked in unison, proceeding to do their handshake.

"But, seriously. I'm glad you let me help you with yours!" The brunette looked over her friend's outfit with delight.

Maya had agreed to wash out the blue dye for the night, but—as she reminded Riley—she was putting it back in the next day; so she was back to being blonde temporarily. After much debate, she had decided to go as a "Greek princess", because Riley had insisted and she already had the white dress. So there it was. Her now blonde hair was twisted back in a half-up, half-down style, with her natural wavy curls cascading down her back, and a gold and silver clip clinging to the twists. The aforementioned dress, was long and seemed to flow gracefully every time she moved, but was still able to show off her golden, gladiator style boots, which had a good sized heel on them. They had found a golden armband, which accented the strapless top, and matched the golden earrings and necklace that were shaped like olive leaves. Her thin, silver and gold belt perfectly complimented the outfit, and so did her beautifully done makeup, also a shimmery sliver.

"Yah, I wasn't sure about it, but now that I see it, I really like it," Maya admitted.

The two girls stood in front of the mirror, each studying their reflection, and that of the girl next to her. Riley felt that her outfit perfectly suited her, and she loved the sophisticated yet whimsical look of her costume. Glancing over at Maya, she hoped her insecurity would be gone, because she truly looked beautiful and Riley wanted her friend to realize that.

The blonde cocked her head, and tried to find a flaw, but as hard as she tried, she really couldn't. It made her feel vain, but both her and Riley looked breathtaking, each personality clearly shining through. Maya loved the feeling of getting all "dressed up", because all her insecurities started to melt away, and she could be free and confident; it felt good. It was an added bonus that she didn't have to worry about her height, because the heels had added a good 3 inches or so, and she was closer to Riley's face now.

"Hey, girls. The boys are here. Are you ready to go?" Mrs. Matthews popped her head in through the door.

"Yup!" Riley exclaimed, turning towards her mother.

"Oh, you guys look amazing!" she gasped. "I can't wait to take pictures."

"That's such a mom thing," Maya rolled her eyes, but was secretly pleased. "We won't ever do that to our children, right Riles?"

"Of course we will!" she gushed. "Aw, they'll love it!"

"Yah, okay honey. Let's go, now," Maya shook her head, and marched out the door.

"Can you walk nicer, sweetie? Remember you're wearing heels!" Mrs. Matthews called, chasing after her.

The girls made quite the entrance for the boys, as their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open a little.

"Oh, yah," Mr. Matthews popped a grape into his mouth. "None of this is happening."

"Dad," Riley warned.

"You guys look—wow!" Charlie said, though his eyes were completely fixed on Riley.

"Thanks, that's really sweet!" His date blushed, walking over to him. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Gosh, Maya," Lucas gazed at her. "I haven't seen you in a dress since last year's dance."

"Really? That's all you can say?" Riley huffed, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't seen you wear earrings for a while?" He guessed, gesturing to her black earrings.

"Boys are impossible..." she grumbled.

"Exactly why you shouldn't be going out with them tonight!" Mr. Matthews exclaimed with satisfaction.

"Cory, honey," his wife said sweetly. "Come here for a minute, okay?"

"Oh, boy," he winced, slowly walking over to her.

Lucas was actually fascinated with Maya. He knew she loved being taller; it gave her an added boost of confidence that was clearly visible. Her face was glowing, and her blonde hair was nice to see again. Knowing he had started off on the wrong foot by making a joke—kind of—he came up to her, and reconciled.

"Hey, Shortstack. You really do look gorgeous." He smiled genuinely.

"Thanks, Huckleberry," She grinned, and then noticing his cowboy hat, plucked it off and inspected it. "The hat's just for me again, isn't it?"

"A cowboy always needs his hat, ma'am," he winked.

"Okay, fine. As long as we're not doing any do-si-doeing!" Maya warned.

"It's a Halloween costume party; I'm pretty sure you're safe," Lucas reassured, with a grin.

* * *

"You lied!" Maya huffed, pointing to the crowd.

Lucas threw up his hands defensively. "I swear, I didn't know!"

Riley and Charlie threw themselves into the dance, and didn't miss a beat. She could see Farkle and Smackle talking—or debating, in their case—near the punch, and she thought she spotted Zay dancing with a cheerleader who looked suspiciously like Missy. Everyone was here.

"Well, what do you say, Ms. Hart?" Lucas turned to her, after a brief silence. "Care to do-si-do?"

"I thought I told you—"

"Try something new, Shortstack." He grabbed her arm, and dragged her into the line.

"I have no idea what I'm doing, Huckleberry!" Maya protested, as the girls backed up, forcing her to do the same.

"I think you'll do just fine. Watch what everyone else is doing, and you'll pick it up," he reassured her.

It was nice of Ranger Rick to take her, but he was kind of crossing the line here. She felt completely stupid, as everyone else skipped, whirled, and clapped around her. Glancing at her friend, she proceeded to copy his dancing, and soon she melted into the line, in perfect unison with everyone else.

Fortunately, it was soon over, and she hated to admit it, but she _had_ picked it up and had fun doing it.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Lucas admitted, walking back towards her.

"Good. Because I will be getting you back for this, Sundance!" Maya threatened.

"It looked like you were having fun, though." he pointed out.

"Not necessarily the point, here."

"Okay, whatever, Clutterbucket." Lucas laughed.

"Ugh, I had hoped you had forgotten about that," she complained. "You haven't called me that in a really long time."

"Then it's long overdue."

The Western music changed to a slower beat, and Maya smiled as Charlie and Riley began to slow dance, looking pretty happy and smug with each other. Lucas held out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion, slapped on a goofy grin, and gestured to the middle of the room.

"How about it, Ma'am?"

"I can't dance, Ranger Rick." She shook her head.

"Right, which is why you did terribly at that line dance," Lucas smirked. "Let's go. We're here to hang out and have a good time dancing."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes.

They made their way into the circle, and resting his hands on her waist, she awkwardly placed hers on his shoulders. The last time they had been this close was in Texas, by that campfire that had started a whole mess. The tension was made a little easier because she was taller tonight, but he still had to look down at her. Maya could feel Riley's joyful gaze on them, and she tried to ignore it.

But, as they slow danced, she could feel Huckleberry's eyes on her too, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. One thing she was sure of though, was that she didn't feel insecure at all, when she would have expected to. Maya was dancing with a boy, there were eyes on her, and she felt like she was made purely out of confidence; and she thought it was all because of Lucas. He made her feel like she could be herself, and not have to worry about anything else.

Then it hit her; she liked "Lucas the Good", and there was no turning back now; it was too late to stop her feelings. But she would have to try; because she was no good for him, and there was no way he was getting past her mask. No matter how hard he tried.

* * *

"It felt like a summer rain!" Riley sighed.

"That's nice, Riles." Maya was lost in thought.

"What about yours?!" She turned eagerly to her friend. "I saw you dancing with Lucas!"

"Yah, we had fun."

"That's it? No fireworks, magical rainbows, no nothing?"

"Life isn't a movie, honey," she reminded.

"But, do you like him?" she persisted.

"I already told you I don't." Maya felt a pit form in her stomach. Why was she lying about this?

"Fine, Peaches. But I'm not letting this one go. You're not telling me something," Riley said suspiciously. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about your insecurity a little bit."

"No. We're not starting this, Riley."

"Oh, yes we are. This conversation is long overdue!"

"You know what? Go ahead; the sooner you get it out, the longer I don't have to listen to it," Maya conceded.

The brunette studied her friend. "We'll start there. Okay, so how did you feel tonight?"

"Fine."

"You have to give me more than that, or I'm just going to keep on bugging you for the rest of the night," she warned.

"Ugh." Maya grumbled. "Okay, I had fun, and I didn't feel insecure at all tonight...happy?"

"Yay! Now, why do you think that is?"

"What is this? The Dr. Phil show?" the blonde exclaimed.

"No, it's the Riley Show. Now, please answer the question."

"Because makeup makes everything better," she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"Yah, it does," Riley beamed. "And you had on a pretty dress..."

She softened a little. "I felt good tonight."

The brunette nodded in understanding. "It's easy to be someone you're not, isn't it?"

Maya looked at her friend. "Too easy."

Riley furrowed her brow, and hugged the blonde tightly. They both sighed, and stayed that way for a while; enjoying the knowledge that they had someone to lean on at all times.

"We're going to get through this, Peaches."

"Okay," Maya acknowledged. "But, I'm still dyeing my hair back blue."

"That's okay." Riley laughed a little. "Change doesn't have to be all bad."

"It doesn't have to be all good either."

But this time she didn't hear a thing Maya whispered.


	9. Tricks Are Better Than Treats

_**Author's Note:**_ _ **Please don't forget to REVIEW, and thanks to those who have already followed, favorited, and reviewed for this story! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **Today is the one month anniversary of the first chapter! So, to "celebrate", you guys get an extra chapter! ;)**_

 _ **I want to thank everyone who reviewed, especially last chapter, because it was so amazing to have people take the time to respond...and as for the people who graciously suggested things, I hope you like this one, because it's probably not going to be what you expected. I really liked some of your ideas, but I already have a set plan in mind, though this doesn't mean I'll never use one of them at some point!**_

 _ **And for later on, the paintings described in here are actual paintings, in case any of you were curious... :)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Nine: Tricks Are Better Than Treats

" _I'm sorry, I have plans Riles_."

" _Like what?_ " Her pout was evident, even through the phone. " _We always go trick or treating on Halloween!_ "

" _You don't think we're a little too old to do that, anyway?_ "

" _Of course not! What's Halloween without going to people's_ _doorsteps_ _, and asking for candy?_ " Riley gasped.

" _That doesn't sound creepy to you at all?_ " Maya asked.

" _Okay, maybe a_ _little,_ " she admitted. " _But, it's still tradition! What are you doing that is so importa_ _nt_ _that you're giving up our annual trick or treating?_ "

" _Fine, so you know how there's that soup kitchen down by the park, where they help the homeless?_ "

" _Yah?_ " Riley responded, excitedly.

" _It's got nothing to do with that. See you later, honey._ " Maya hung up the phone, just after hearing her friend's protest.

Smirking, she dropped the phone, and walked out to the kitchen. Her mother was running around frantically, grabbing random items, and muttering absentmindedly to herself. After watching her with some amusement, Maya spoke up.

"Are you looking for something, mom?"

"What?" She lifted her head, and paused. "Oh, no that's not it. I'm trying to get ready, because Shawn invited me on this last minute date, and I was not prepared at all...hey, there's my shoe!"

"Um, on Halloween?" her daughter inquired.

"Yah, he's in town right now, and it's one of the few times he's available, so I'm taking whatever I can get!"

"What time are you leaving?" Maya said, sitting down on a stool by the table.

"Around 5:30? I think that's what he said," she answered, rummaging through her purse.

"You do realize it's 5:25 right now?"

Ms. Hart looked up with a panicked expression on her face. Moving faster, if that was even possible, she snagged her purse, coat, and double checked that she had both shoes on.

"Okay," she sighed, breathing heavily. "How do I look?"

"Where you going, mom?" Maya inquired before she pursed her lips.

"Some nice restaurant, which is so sweet and—I'm wearing sweatpants." Her mother exclaimed in disbelief and concern.

"Hey, we've done this before, we can do it again. Let's go!" Maya grabbed her mother's hand, and dragged her to her room.

"Should I go with the blue or the brown dress?" she asked, still being led by her daughter.

"Go with the blue, it really deepens and brings out your eyes. And then you can wear those sparkly, green earrings you haven't worn in years."

Ms. Hart found the dress, and quickly donned it, while Maya found the jewelry.

"You know what? Put the silver necklace on too, with the belt because then it will really match. And there you go; a casual yet sophisticated look."

"You are a live saver, baby girl." Her mother praised as she put on the earrings. "It's fun to see you like this, too."

"Like what?" she asked in confusion, handing her mother the belt.

"You don't care a lot about fashion, but that seems to change when you help others." Ms. Hart chuckled a little. "I mean, you designed those gorgeous wings for Riley's costume, and you know how to put together the perfect outfit in less than a minute!"

"I'm an artist; this is kind of another outlet," she smiled.

Maya's grin faded as her own words hit her. She was wrong; she wasn't an artist anymore, and she needed to remember that. What she was doing was merely helping someone out, and planning outfits wasn't exactly rocket science anyway.

Finishing the accessorizing, Ms. Hart let Maya examine her, and the girl nodded in approval. A knock came from the door, just as the two Hart women were walking back into the dining room area.

"An artist with perfect timing," Maya's mother winked at her, opening the door.

"Hey, Katy!" Shawn walked inside, and looked her over. "Wow, you look amazing."

"Thanks, it was all Maya's doing." She grinned at her daughter, who forced a smile.

"Yah? You have good taste, kiddo," he complimented. "It's nice to see you both; it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Too long," Ms. Hart agreed.

"You guys should probably get going." Maya reminded, glancing at the clock.

"She's right." Shawn started to leave. "Our reservation's at 6:15, so if we want to make it on time we have to leave soon."

"Wait, I thought you said this was a last minute thing? How could you have made—?"

"I have my ways. Oh, the perks of being a photographer!" he teased.

"Uh-huh. Like free camera usage," Maya snorted.

"Hey, I value whatever I get!" he defended, sounding a lot like her mother.

"Wait," Ms. Hart place a hand on her date's shoulder. "I don't want to leave Maya home alone. When is Riley coming to pick you up for trick or treating? I want you home no later than 11."

"Uh, actually I'm spending the night, so don't worry about that." She already had her excuse ready. "And she's coming in about a half-hour, so it won't be long."

"Okay, but text me as soon as you're leaving." Her mother hugged her. "See you tomorrow, baby girl."

"Love you." Maya hated lying, but she had gotten used to it after years of practice, so it—almost—didn't faze her anymore.

"See ya, kiddo." Shawn waved, and closed the door gently behind them.

Maya breathed a sigh of relief, though her night was far from over. In fact, it was just starting.

* * *

"No way this is that simple." She shook her head.

"But, I just did it."

Maya shivered in the night air, and glanced nervously at the silent street. They were starting small, so naturally it was a tiny museum, and it also happened to be in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't a big chance that they would get caught—tonight at least—but, the small nagging doubts were creeping into her head, and she knew she would be stuck with them all night. It could be worse of course; last time her conscience had spoken to her she had sworn that it came in the form of a Tater Tot.

It didn't help that it was Halloween. Maya wasn't superstitious, and obviously didn't scare easily, but she had never really liked this holiday. It was almost funny, because every time her friends invited her to a horror movie, she really just buried her fears in a giant bowl of popcorn. Not that she would ever let anyone know that fact. Boy, were her secrets adding up.

"Great, you unlocked the door," she said sarcastically. "But, what about cameras? Or guards and motion sensors?"

"Have a little faith, Hart," Coco smirked, and led the group in silently. "Don't you think we've taken care of all that? Besides, since when do you worry about stuff like this?"

"Since this might end up being the dumbest mistake I've ever made," Maya whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Look, I came in here earlier this week, and took notes. Mental ones of course," Ace explained. "I hacked into their security system so I could shut down the sensors and cameras. As to the guards, I know their schedules, and because it's a small town, there's only one guy on duty per night."

"And you're assuming he's not going to hear us?" Josh spoke up suddenly, voicing his own concern.

"Okay, you guys seriously didn't talk this over before you came here?" Maya exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hart, a word please," Jazz said quietly; but it almost seemed like she was shouting.

Crossing over to the tall girl, who had her hands placed on her hips, she ran a hand through her hair and tried not to look anxious.

"Look, I'm just saying this so you realize how stupid it is," Maya snapped defiantly. "I don't have any problems with this—"

Her cousin bent down and yanked the smaller girl's head towards hers.

"Listen to me right now. You will not question my leadership, or what I'm doing. This is my group, and I run the show around here, you understand? You're here because I let you, not because you have any talent or importance to add, and I can just as easily kick you out."

Maya had to contain herself from lashing out at the tall girl, so she didn't answer, hoping silence was the best option right now. This was more like the Jazz she knew. The older girl smirked, knowing she had defeated her cousin, and let go. They parted ways, the leader sauntering back into her group, and the current victim staying planted, though she still held her head high.

Josh watched through narrowed, suspicious eyes as the two girls had their silent exchange. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew the two personalities well, and he had a pretty good idea of what the conversation was about. Maya may not have wanted him to watch out for her, but he was going to do just that, though from a distance. Jazz was going to have to be careful with his honorary niece, or he would have to take some responsibility.

"Everybody ready?" The leader grinned.

The group smiled sickeningly, and made silent cheers of excitement. Oh, they were ready; in fact, they had thought this day would never come. Even Maya smirked, still upset. But she was so tired of playing it safe. It was time to be stupid. She'd already played the role of the responsible one, and she hadn't really liked it that much...apparently neither had Jazz. All that didn't really matter anyway, because at the end of the day, it was just Maya, a painting, and some destruction literally in her hands.

* * *

They trudged down the road, some clutching bags, others holding onto hats as the wind blew strongly. Approaching the end of the neighborhood, the friends decided to call it quits, and start the long walk home. Zay kept glancing at his friends, wondering who was going to be the first one to talk, because he was determined not to after they complained about his big mouth. It lasted a whole whopping 32 seconds.

"Apparently you 3 aren't going to say anything, but I'm tired of this whole quiet thing. So, I'm just going to say whatever I want now. Hey, are any of you willing to trade your peanut butter cups for licorice? I hate that stuff...oh, and any grape flavored candy I need right now! I think it's my weakness, I mean man, sugar is addicting!"

Farkle glared at his chatty friend, while the other two watched the ground go by slowly next to their feet. The moon shined high from above, and a certain Farkle below slowly began to lose his patience.

"...and if you ever feed coconut to a ferret, remember I warned you not to!" Zay exclaimed.

"Will you shut up already?" the genius snapped, breaking.

"Farkle!" Riley reprimanded, pulling her head up to look at him.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, sounding a whole lot like each of their mothers.

"I don't know...I guess it feels really tense, and I don't like it." He shrugged apologetically.

"It's just not the same without her here, is it?" Lucas admitted.

"No. It isn't," Riley sighed.

"Why did she say she wasn't coming?" He asked.

"She said she had plans," she responded flatly.

"Do you think skittles would taste good with chocolate?" Zay wondered aloud.

The rest of the group turned to look at him, each with different emotions crossing their faces.

"Are you even paying attention?" Farkle questioned, exasperated.

"Uh." He racked his brain for an excuse, but came up empty. "Not really."

"I'm going to text her," Riley decided, searching for her phone in the mess of her pockets.

"Don't bother. If she didn't tell you what she was doing, she not going to answer." Lucas warned. "You know that's how Maya works."

"I know...I'm just worried about her. She's acting really weird."

Farkle nodded. "Well, we know it probably has a lot to do with her insecurity thing."

"Which we do need to discuss, because it's going to get worse, and we haven't addressed it with her in a long time," Lucas stated.

"You all are cowards." Zay said, finally 'contributing' to the conversation.

"Oh, yah? I don't see you talking to her either," Farkle scowled.

"Yah, that girl freaks me out, man." He shivered.

"Moving on." Riley glanced at the two boys. "How are we supposed to help her? She won't even let me talk about it."

"Well, we should probably do some research, right?" Farkle said, sounding like himself again. "I've already started, and it's not a bad idea for you guys to do it too."

"Yah, but you're better at that stuff," Zay reminded him.

"It doesn't matter. We're doing this for Maya, remember?"

Riley looked at the time on her wrist.

"It's getting kind of late, but I still want to make sure she's okay. Do you think we can stop by her apartment?"

"You know it's like 10:30, right?" Lucas said. "You never stay up past 11, and that was only one time."

"But it's Maya. That's reason enough."

"Okay, but how do you know she's home yet? She didn't tell you where she was going or when she would be back," Farkle pointed out.

"I'm still going." Riley said stubbornly.

"Hey, Little Miss Sunshine grew a backbone!" Zay grinned widely.

She smiled. "I think Maya is finally rubbing off on me."

* * *

"You're in my group." Jazz nudged her on the shoulder, walking past briskly.

"There's no other person—"

"I thought I said no questions, Hart. Let's go." She headed down the hall to the right.

"You know what, whatever." Maya seethed. "But, I'm only staying quiet because I want to. No one walks over me, not even you."

Her cousin laughed softly. "Oh, you and I are so alike."

"I'm nothing like you," Maya scoffed. "We already talked about this."

"No, what we discussed was that you _are_ like me...well, almost. You have a little more experience you need to gain before you get there. Not that you could fully be me, anyway. I've grown up with a lot more bitterness than you have."

"Are you kidding?" Maya raised her voice a little. "Do you even know anything about me?"

"Oh, plenty."

The way she said it made it seem like it wasn't a big deal, and Maya didn't really catch the words; she was too busy planning her next move, but it wouldn't be until later that the phrasing caught her attention.

"Look, I know you want to talk to me, so can you just say what you need to say, and move on?" Maya asked impatiently.

"Okay, fine. We'll play it that way," Jazz said, sounding irritated. "I just want to make sure you are going to go through with this, and not rat us out or bail."

"I already told you I would. I'm going to do this," Maya confirmed angrily.

"Good, then. You can prove it soon, but first I guess we can chat a little. You're family, and family is supposed to look out for one another, and I know I may not seem like it but I'm looking out for you too. If you ever want advice or need to spill about the crap in your life, give me a call, okay?"

Maya cocked her head, and narrowed her eyes at her cousin. How did people switch from danger to helpful in less than a second? No way was this legitimate.

"And what would I ever need your help for?" she challenged.

"I don't know...boys, creating problems, clothes," the taller girl said, shrugging.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" she asked defensively.

"I didn't say anything was wrong with your clothes. But, I would recommend changing some things, if you're brave enough to do it."

"Brave enough?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "That was like the stupidest dare ever."

"Yah, but did it get you riled up?" She pointed out, smirking.

The blue haired girl crossed her arms and sighed, deciding not to answer.

"Okay, great," Jazz smiled, knowing she was right. "What do you think about skirts?"

"Not into them; too girly."

"Nah, you just have to find the right one..."

Maya was intrigued, but repulsed at the same time. What game was her cousin playing? She wasn't quite sure she really wanted to know, but she knew in time her nature would win, so why deny what was inevitable? And after all, they had a long night ahead of them.

* * *

"She's still not answering." Riley frowned at her phone.

"Big surprise there," Lucas said sarcastically. "You've checked it like every 10 seconds, and nothing's different."

She pouted. "But, I texted "ring power"! She has to listen to that!"

"You two are ridiculous." Zay shook his head. "How did you even let her go in the first place?"

"She's a lot stronger than me, you know!" the brunette said defensively.

They reached the base of the fire escape, shivering as a blast of cold wind blew over them. The moon was full, and shining brightly, but the moonlight couldn't reach them on this street. It looked like it would rain though, and the friends all regretted not bringing warmer clothes.

"Should we knock on her door, or—" Farkle looked up at Maya's window.

"I'm not sure." Lucas squinted. "I don't see any lights on; she's probably asleep."

"Right...Riley's awake and Maya's asleep; let's think on that one a little more, okay?" Zay snorted.

"We're still going to check, right?" she whispered.

"Yah, but I kind of want to get out of here as fast as we can," Farkle admitted. "It doesn't feel safe."

Everyone murmured in silent agreement. They loved Maya to death, but she came from the wrong side of town, and it didn't make them feel comfortable. Not that they would ever say anything about it to her.

"I'll go," Riley decided, starting to climb the ladder.

"No, I'll do it. It'll be faster and safer anyway." Lucas stopped her from going any further.

"Please be careful!" she pleaded.

"It's just a fire escape, Riley." Lucas reassured her, rolling his eyes good naturedly.

He climbed the ladder swiftly, recoiling from the cold metal that touched his hands. Lucas already knew that Maya wasn't there; the only reason he was going was to console Riley. As much as that girl saw through Maya, she still didn't pick up on the small things that seemed to scream what her friend was really feeling.

Did _he_? It seemed like it; and maybe it was only because they shared a lot of similar traits. Or ones he used to possess at least. But, Lucas supposed the reason they had called off the triangle was because he was equally like both of the girls and couldn't choose. Now, he wasn't so sure it had been the best decision; something seemed off, even though they were all acting like friends again.

Lucas reached Maya's window and peered inside, squinting to see past the dirty glass. He had been to her house once or twice before, but she obviously didn't feel comfortable with it, so it didn't happen very often. The last time he had been there was almost a year ago, but he didn't remember her room looking this gloomy before. All her drawings had been taken off the walls, exposing holes and cracks that littered the surface, and there were matching gaps and chinks on her furniture and floor. There were clothes all over the place—which wasn't abnormal—and a suspicious number of schoolbooks in piles around the room. The only other thing that caught his attention was the long, rectangular shaped mirror hanging by her bed. It was the cleanest thing in there; in fact in looked like it had just been polished this morning.

Knowing it wasn't necessary, but doing it anyway, Lucas opened the squeaky window and hopped inside quietly. Crossing over to Maya's bed, he sighed at the flat blankets which held dozens of pen, marker, and paint stains. She wasn't there and that left him with a weird feeling that he couldn't seem to shake. Maybe it was because no one knew where she was, and even though she left to do her own thing a lot, she never bailed on her friends. And maybe, he admitted, that scared him a little.

* * *

"Moment of truth, Hart." Jazz stepped in front of a large painting. "You get the first shot."

She studied the painting, trying to guess what the artist was saying. There was a girl standing on a rock, holding a colorful blanket of some kind over her head, facing sideways; that was the main focus. But, what caught her attention were the cliffs and hills that made up the background. Maya wasn't there, it was a painting of course, but she felt like she was up on that rock with the girl, and getting a beautiful view of the landscape around them. The artist had painted the girl leaning forward, and she looked like she was ready to jump into the canyon at any minute. Maya wanted to join her. To feel that moment of weightlessness, to be surrounded by everything and nothing, to be numb to everything but elation and defiance. Maybe the artist was capturing a memory, a feeling that he had experienced, and was giving it to everyone else. Looking at the painting, Maya felt calm, rebellious, and free all at once...that was what the artist was trying to show.

"Hart, we don't have all night," Jazz snapped.

She couldn't do it. By ruining someone else's painting, she was ruining memories, dreams, and feelings that not only the artist felt, but whomever else saw it. She could ruin the chance of it giving hope and emotion to people.

But, then again, when had hope ever done anything for her? No, she _would_ do this, because she wasn't going to let hope ruin other people's lives too. Maya wasn't going to be selfish, and in order to do that, she had to make tough decisions...but it was all for the better in the long run, right?

Taking the gray spray paint from Jazz's outstretched hand, Maya took a deep breath and began to do the biggest, dumbest thing she had ever done in her life.

* * *

A corner of blue stuck out from underneath the bed, and Lucas couldn't help his curiosity. Pulling it out, he studied the bin, seeing if there was anything special about it. There wasn't; it was just a box with random scribbles and words scattered across the surface. Except for one phrase that caught his attention, and his breathing became rapid. Lucas had always been taught never to jump to conclusions, or judge people from the outside, but how could you argue with evidence and logic? He had seen that handwriting, those words, and the cold, hard fact was mind bending. Maya had written " _Hope is for suckers_ " on the lid of the bin, and it was obvious now that she had painted the same phrase on the school wall. The question was why, and how. Why would she have done all of that damage to the school? Vandalism was a huge felony, even for something like spray painting, which came off easily but took a lot of time to accomplish said task. Maya had done some crazy stuff in the past, but this was a whole different level. All he could say was that he was sure glad he had gone up here instead of Riley.

Sliding the bin back under the bed, Lucas crawled out of the open window, and back onto the fire escape. Climbing down slowly this time, he tried to hide his emotions before he reached the ground, because there was no way he was telling anyone what he saw...at least not yet. As soon as his feet touched the sidewalk, Riley flung herself at him, concern filling her gaze.

"Was she there? Was she gone? Do you think someone could've kidnapped her? Oh, no! That has to—"

She was silenced by Lucas's hand over her mouth.

"She was there, Riley. Please, calm down."

"Oh, good!" She sighed in relief. "But, how come there aren't any lights on?"

"Uh, Maya and her mother were watching a movie in the living room." Lucas hated lying.

Zay raised an eyebrow. "I thought she had plans...were those her plans?"

"I don't know; I didn't really ask. But, that could be it, or she already did her thing and came back home...who knows?"

Farkle and Zay glanced at each other, knowing that wasn't the full story. Lucas was obviously hiding something, but at least Riley was oblivious, like usual. They agreed to head home, the boys trudging, and the girl skipping a little. Lucas' brain was filled with hundreds of thoughts, thousands of doubts and concerns and millions of theories, all overlaid with feelings of disappointment. What bothered him was that there was no way of finding out what was really going on with Maya until she opened herself up, which rarely happened. Until then, he was stuck...and even though she didn't realize it; so was she.

* * *

"Everybody ready for the last wing?" Jazz grinned, leading the group down the stairs.

Maya's heart thumped in her chest, and her blood ran hot throughout her body. She knew the feeling; it was a dangerous mixture of guilt and adrenaline...a bittersweet combination.

"Okay, spread out and be quiet. We haven't seen the guard yet, but that doesn't mean we won't," Jazz warned, whispering now.

Everyone dispersed, and Maya immediately headed for the back of the room, probably out of habit. Plus, she didn't really want to be surrounded by people at that moment. Glancing down the row of paintings, she almost dropped her spray paint as she spotted one that made her mouth dry. She couldn't destroy this piece, there was no way...but she had an idea of how to preserve it.

Walking briskly back to Jazz, she put on her mask, and proceeded to hide her emotions. She was going to come out of this unscathed, proud, and triumphant.

"Hey, Hart. Done already?" She teased.

"Nah, I just had an idea I thought you might like." Maya crossed her arms, and tried to look agreeable.

"Okay, let's hear it." Jazz said, intrigued.

"You know how you wanted to leave a legacy with this whole thing?" She spread her arms out. "Well, what if we left our mark in each museum too, by making a statement."

"Isn't that what we're doing?" the taller girl snickered.

"No, I mean, what if we left one painting untouched in the museum...it would definitely get talked about, and would represent us."

"So, every time we did this, we'd leave behind one painting?" Jazz narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Yah..." Maya said, shifting her weight uneasily.

Her cousin started nodding in agreement. "Okay, I like it. Do you have one in mind?"

"I do."

"Okay, let's see it."

Maya led Jazz to the back wall, and stopped in front of the chosen painting.

"Why this one, Hart?"

"I don't know. I think it's because I know exactly what the artist feels and how the person in the art felt too," she cocked her head.

The painting was labeled "The Ride", and depicted a cowboy riding on a bull. What she liked about it, was that the bull didn't look mean, though the artist could've easily made it that way. So, instead of a dangerous ride, the painting felt—at least to her—like a demonstration of the friendship between the bull and its rider, and the elation of the whole thing. It reminded her of Lucas...it couldn't be destroyed.

"Well, regardless of the reason, I'm glad you're contributing. You proved me wrong today, Hart... congratulations, that doesn't happen very often," Jazz smirked.

"What did I prove you wrong about?" she asked, still staring at the painting.

"That you were able to destroy paintings, sneak out on Halloween, and break into a museum...that takes guts."

Maya looked at Jazz, and nodded in agreement, but inside all she could think about was that stupid cowboy on the bull.


	10. Change and Growth

_**Author's Note: Enjoy, and please, please, please don't forget to REVIEW! And of course, thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed for this story! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **Also regarding reviews...I know I haven't really responded to any, and I hope that won't discourage you guys from writing them. They are SO appreciated, and definitely help encourage me to keep writing this story! If any of you feel like you would really like me to respond or you think it's something an author should make an effort to do, let me know please. I really want you guys to feel like I care about your opinions, and that I'm trying to do my best with this whole publishing/writing thing! I am new to this, and a little concerned obviously with how well I'm doing. Thank you to those who read this all the way through! :) And...some of you won't like how Maya is acting in this chapter, but it has to happen.  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Ten: Change and Growth

They stood by the lockers, waiting for Maya to show up, just like they always did. Lucas and Riley were having some stupid conversation about horses, and Farkle was already reading the next chapter in their science book. Zay on the other hand, wasn't busy at all. He was remembering the time when Lucas had ridden Judy the sheep; a moment that he had claimed changed his life forever. What was bugging Zay about that memory, was that he had felt like something important was about to happen, just like now. He couldn't shake the feeling, and it was starting to make him nervous; something that didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lucas glanced at his friend, just noticing his expression.

"Yah, I'm fine...but I can tell you today's going to be different." He met his friend's gaze.

"What do you mean?" Riley asked. "Nothing bad could ever happen to us, nothing scary or different."

"What makes you so sure, Riley?" Farkle looked up from his textbook. "Science dictates that everything is living, and therefore is never permanent and must change."

"But, _our_ lives are exceptions!" she beamed. "We've always been the same, haven't we? Farkle has always been some little genius who wants to take over the world, Zay has never stopped joking around, Maya always gets into trouble, and Lucas is still as sweet and gentlemanly as when we first saw him."

Lucas clenched his jaw. "People change people though, remember?"

"Not everyone is the same since birth," Farkle added, glancing at him. "And that's science right there, too."

"Oh, you mean 'cause Lucas wasn't always a "Moral Compass", right?" Zay laughed.

"Zay, cut it out," he warned.

"Fine, man. But only because I want to...and because Maya's here now."

Everyone turned to look at their friend, who had seemed to appear from thin air. They were caught off guard by her sudden entrance, but more so by her startling appearance.

"Why is it that every time we see you, you look different?" Farkle groaned.

She shrugged, and ran a hand through her blue hair.

"Just trying things out, you know?"

Riley walked up to her best friend with confusion in her eyes.

"Peaches?"

"Yah, honey?"

"Why are you wearing makeup?"

"I always wear makeup, Riles." Maya rolled her eyes, and put her bag in her locker.

"But, this isn't makeup! What is that?" she exclaimed, pointing to her friend's lips.

Maya grabbed the taller girl's shoulders, and slowed down her speech; speaking as if her friend was a small child.

"This is called _lipstick_. You put it on your lips to give them color."

"I know what lipstick is," Riley protested, "I'm wearing some right now."

"Honey, that's lip gloss."

"Same thing! But, at least it's way lighter than yours."

"Is that what the problem is?" Maya huffed, and slammed the locker door. "My lipstick is too dark for you?"

"It's black," Riley cried, gesturing frantically.

"It's maroon," she shouted back.

"Whatever."

"It's like a purple isn't it?" Maya said slowly, changing tactics. "And you know what else is purple?"

"Cats?" Riley's eyes lit up.

"Yup, lots and lots of purple cats...can you imagine them?"

"Yes, I can!" She looked out into the distance, caught up in her vision of oddly colored cats.

"She is way too easy to fool," Zay whispered to Lucas and Farkle.

"Is anyone else feeling Deja vu?" Farkle asked.

"I don't speak Russian, genius." Zay rolled his eyes.

Raising an eyebrow, Farkle explained the phrase. "It's French. It means feeling like you've already seen, or experienced something before."

"Oh...then yah, I do have French nostalgia."

The boy shook his head, and returned his attention to Maya.

"I'm not trying to be nosy, and please don't assume I have a death wish, but what's up with your appearance today?"

She scowled, and glared at her friends. "Can't I just do something different?"

"You already did that with your hair!" Riley pouted.

"And now I'm doing it with other things...this is ridiculous and I don't need to explain myself to you!"

"We're not trying to tell you that you can't try something new, but this is just so far out there...we're kind of just processing it," Lucas spoke up.

"What's so far out about it, Ranger Rick?" she snarled, treating the name like a weapon.

He took in the girl in front of him, while trying to come up with a decent answer, preferably one that didn't end up with her walking away. It was just so odd for Maya to act like this. Dyeing her hair blue was enough of a shock, but then today she came in with dark makeup, and everyone knew something was off. She was right about the maroon lipstick, but it still didn't make it any better. Her face had on what looked like a pound of layers; she had on a ton of stuff to make up a smokey eye and wore heavy mascara on top of it. Plus, she had heavily accented her cheekbones.

Her clothes were different too. Lucas hadn't really seen Maya in skirts besides dances, so this was definitely a new thing; especially since he recalled her saying she wasn't fond of them. She was wearing a plaid skirt, a black tank, and these ridiculously high heels, even for her. Topping it all off was her familiar leather jacket, which was comforting, but not at the same time. It was really weird because it looked like something Maya might wear, but maybe it was the combination of the clothing with the makeup that made it seem wrong and out of place.

"It looks like you're trying to be someone you're not," he whispered, regretting telling the truth, but not able to bring himself to lie.

She stared at him in a confusing mixture of disappointment, hurt, and anger; her blue eyes full of fire. Spinning on her heel she began to storm off, with Riley right on her tail. Just how he thought it was going to end.

Riley matched the shorter girl's pace easily, and tried to give her some comfort.

"I'm not saying I like the makeup, but I'm definitely into you trying skirts now."

Maya couldn't stay mad at Riley, she never had been able to anyway, so she allowed herself a small smile.

"Thanks, honey. I'm glad at least one person thinks so."

"I'm your best friend, Peaches. I'm going to try no matter what."

"There's no one quite like you, is there Riles?" Maya looked up at her.

"Nope. I'm unique...just like my purple cats."

"Do you have to bring that into every single conversation?" her friend groaned.

* * *

"It's gone, Ms. Matthews. Forever," Mr. Mendez said evenly, staring down at the bewildered girl.

"But, but—" Riley gaped. "The purple! I need purple, and this world just isn't right without it!"

"I would recommend a nice shade of green," he commented thoughtfully. "Try it, try anything. Just as long as it isn't purple."

Her jaw hung open, as she watched her teacher walk away triumphantly. Turning to Maya, she tried to form intelligent words, but nothing came.

"Close your mouth, Riles. You're going to catch flies," she said, not even looking at her.

She snapped it shut. "What am I going to do, Peaches?" the brunette wailed.

Turning to her friend, and shaking her head at her plain ridiculousness, Maya snatched a green paint bottle from an indignant classmate. He quickly shied away after receiving the full blown Maya Hart death glare.

"See this? This is the color green." She waved the bottle in front of Riley's face.

Her eyes filled with wonder. "There are other colors?"

"Yes, and you can use them."

Slowly taking the paint, Riley turned to her canvas and began to finger paint her first non-purple drawing since kindergarten. Grinning at the swipe of green, she glanced at her friend who gave her a cheesy thumbs up, and continued her masterpiece. Once her back was turned, Maya rolled her eyes and smiled at her innocent and naive friend. Sure, it was annoying sometimes, but she would protect that for as long as she could. After all, she was president of the "Riley Committee", and that was the group's whole purpose.

"Today we will be starting a new project. It will be due sometime before winter break." Mr. Mendez announced, standing in the center of his classroom. "There is no pressure on you, as long as you try your hardest, so please don't groan and complain when I announce the assignment."

"How about we don't do it all, and then you'll never have to hear a complaint in your whole teaching experience?" Maya suggested.

"Hmm, tempting Ms. Hart. But, I'll have to pass." He looked around the room. "So, your Fall project is to draw, and eventually paint, a portrait. Now, for this you will need partners, because you will be sketching people in this room—"

An excited buzz filled the classroom as friends smirked at each other, and scooted closer to desired partners. Maya rolled her eyes at the immature actions of her fellow students, knowing how this would end.

"—which have already been chosen."

A collective sigh was heard throughout the room, and the art teacher shook his head. It happened with every single project assigned, so he should be used to it, but seriously did these kids need to be with their friends for every single assignment?

Riley turned to Maya, green paint already covering her arms and hands.

"Even if we get separated, Peaches, know that I will never forget you," she cried.

"Riley," Maya looked deep into her friend's eyes.

"Yes?"

"It's only one project. Calm down," she laughed.

"But, it always starts with one 'project'," Her friend began to ramble. "Then it turns into missing holidays, and friend outings, and then you stop sending texts, and the next thing you know you never see them again!"

"Breathe, Riley, breathe," Maya reminded.

"Right, that's important," she agreed.

Spotting the teacher headed their way, Riley immediately turned bright again, and presented her artwork.

"Ah, Ms. Matthews," Mr. Mendez stepped behind her, scrutinizing her painting. "A green…dog. How clever."

Not catching the sarcasm, Riley beamed.

"Thank you! I _really_ like this color...in fact, I don't think I'm ever going back to purple!"

"Wonderful." He rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"And it's all thanks to you! You have showed me the wonderful world of green!" she continued, waving her stained hands in the air for him to see.

"Okay, Ms. Matthews. I understand that I am not as smart as I once thought; please stop talking now."

"So, Mr. Mendez, do I get a pass on this assignment?" Maya asked, interrupting their odd conversation.

Turning to the small girl, he raised an eyebrow.

"And why would you get a pass on a project?"

"Because I'm your favorite student?" she offered.

"Mm, that's an interesting statement, Ms. Hart. What brought you to this conclusion?"

"She's an artist! Isn't that reason enough?" Riley butted in.

"Unfortunately, not. Especially since I apparently need to remind her that she is failing art." He looked pointedly at the blue haired girl.

"She'll be better! I just need to work on being a _great_ good influence!" she pleaded.

"That's something only she can decide for herself, Ms. Matthews." He cleared his throat. "But, on other matters, you are paired with Farkle Minkus for the project, and Ms. Hart is partnered with Lucas Friar."

"How come you call them by their first names?" Maya grumbled, still upset about not getting the free ride through art class. Which was of course unusual, but that's all that seemed to happen with her these days.

"Because they're boys," he replied sarcastically.

Again not catching the sarcasm, Riley jumped up to glare at her teacher.

"That's a terrible injustice against women everywhere! I will not stand for your sexist views!" she proclaimed angrily.

" _Riley_ , I assure you that I have a very high respect for the women population," Mr. Mendez reassured her, shaking his head. "Please go and meet Mr. Minkus, now."

She stalked off, grumbling about feminism and male rights.

"And you..." Mr. Mendez turned back to Maya, and studied her. "I don't understand what's going on in your head, but you need to figure it out."

"Why?" She asked blankly.

"Because if you don't, you're going to lose a lot more than you think," he said softly.

Maya returned her gaze to her blank canvas, and watched Mr. Mendez leave out of the corner of her eye. In his place came Lucas, who slowly sat down on the stool next to her, preparing himself for the worst.

"So, I hope you aren't mad at me—no, that's wrong. You're obviously mad at me, and I guess you have every right...but let's just do this project and try to be civil, okay?"

Maya swiveled to face Lucas, a calm and indifferent expression on her face. He should have seen it coming, but he was too focused on making sure she wasn't going to yell at him, that he totally lost his focus.

"So, we should be completely relaxed and not worry about anything else that's happened?" she blinked.

"Yah, I mean that sounds fair."

"Fair...what does that really mean, Huckleberry? Hmm?" she cocked her head.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I guess it means giving and using equal and honest treatment...it means taking into consideration the actions of others, and even though it may be hard, making the right decision."

"Ah, making a hard decision..." Maya seemed to ponder on that, her dark lips pursed. "Well, this _certainly_ isn't hard at all."

Snatching a tray full of purple paint, she dumped it over his head, as he winced from the coldness and acrid fumes. The room suddenly became deathly quiet, as even Mr. Mendez stood up and watched; not even making a move towards the two.

"That's right; I found the purple." Maya smirked.

Lucas debated what action to take next. What decided the decision was her triumphant expression, and the easily accessible bowl of glistening yellow paint by his left hand. Before she could react, he had poured the paint all over her, ruining her new clothes and makeup.

"You're going to regret that, Cowboy," she growled.

"Not as much as you're going to hate this," he grinned and proceeded to squirt a tube of bright red paint across her shirt and jacket.

From then on it was complete and full on war. Maya retaliated by smearing blue paint over his face, enjoying it especially when he had to squeeze his eyes shut to avoid getting paint in them.

"Not in the eyes, Penelope!" he protested.

Her eyes took on an evil glint at her middle name, and she grabbed a bowl of dirty water from behind her; splashing it onto him.

"Sorry, here's some water to wash it out with," she taunted.

Lucas stood up, still blinking the color out of his eyes, and began to attack her with random colors he had found on the tables. Screaming in annoyance, she slapped him with a handful of green, nearly tripping over an easel in the process.

"Okay, that's enough." Mr. Mendez strode towards them.

Lucas straightened, and lowered his arms, but Maya ignored their teacher and continued to assault him with colorful weapons. Not wanting to disregard his teacher's order, Lucas backed away from her in defensive, hoping she would get the hint and stop. She didn't. The small girl dropped the empty palette she had been holding, and walked to the art table, scooping up sharp pencils and markers in her stained hands.

"Maya," he warned.

"Grow a backbone, Sundance!" she cried, flinging the tools at him.

"Ms. Hart!" Their teacher said firmly, trying to get her attention.

Maya didn't even glance his way, as she knocked over stools and easels on her way to Lucas.

"You listen to me, and you listen good," she growled, jabbing at his chest. "You had no right to talk to me like that!"

"What?" He could feel his irritation rising. "Tell the truth? Because you haven't been yourself, and you're changing so quickly?"

Her response was to swiftly release all of the markers, seize a nearby pot, and attempt to smash it over his head, which Mr. Mendez quickly stopped. Snatching the ceramic from Maya's hand, he stepped in between the two students.

"That's enough!" he declared. "Lucas, you're in the community service class? Welcome to your new assignment; cleaning this room and paying for all the extra supplies you broke and wasted." He turned to the girl. "As for you, you get the pleasure of helping him as part of your punishment."

They stood in silence, taking in the shocked students scattered around the classroom and the damage they had created. Easels, canvases, and stools had fallen everywhere, empty glasses and bowls lay broken, and there were remnants of thrown objects across the floor. Additionally, there were smears of paint in the area in which they had fought and on the floor clearly marking out their paths of movement.

"Do I make myself clear?" Mr. Mendez asked sternly.

They both nodded, just as the school bell rang for the last class of the day.

"Have fun," he said, grabbing his coat, and exiting the room with the rest of his students.

Maya folded her arms and glared at a paintbrush, when Lucas interrupted her by picking it up.

"This is all your fault, Ranger Rick," she growled.

"You know it takes two to tango," he said calmly from the floor.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means we both made this mess, and now we _both_ get to clean it up."

Maya scowled, and kicked a half-broken jar with her black and green foot.

"Watch it," Lucas warned. "Why don't you actually just pick it up instead of making it worse?"

"Shut up, Hop a' long."

"You know what?" He stood up, and faced Maya. "I've had enough."

She raised an eyebrow, and tapped her foot, interested to see where this was going. He walked over to her, and looked her dead in the eye.

"We are going to play a game," he said, all seriousness.

"What?" She was caught completely off guard.

"Yah, just a little one. And you have no choice, seeing as you got me in trouble."

"Wait, you just said it takes—"

"And that's the end of the conversation." Lucas spoke over her. "Now, the game is this: every time you see a color—which there is plenty of—you have to tell me a memory associated with that specific color. In turn, I will tell you one of mine."

"Who would want to do something like that?" Maya rolled her eyes.

"You. Because you have no choice," He smirked.

"Fine." She conceded, much to his surprise. It usually took longer than that.

Bending down, and retrieving a purple marker, she rolled it around in her fingers for a while. Lucas went back to his cleaning, and Maya joined him, after taking a deep breath.

"The first time I saw Riley," she spoke up, even as she found a broom in the corner. "She was wearing purple, ironically. I know you've heard this story, but that's what you get for making me do this. Anyway, I was running away, which was probably the stupidest thing for a 6-year-old to do. I was walking out on the streets, and I felt compelled to check out this apartment building; so I did. At first, when I got to the top of the fire escape, I started to turn back because there was nothing there. But then I heard her singing, and it was like a magical force pulling me in. She wasn't even scared when I climbed in through the window, and plopped myself down on the cushions of her seat. Riley just stopped singing, and asked me who I was, with this big, goofy grin. I didn't even know her, and I felt the safest I ever had in her bay window..."

Maya swept the broken glass into the dustpan. "And gosh, her whole room was purple!"

Lucas chuckled. "Well, at least she's into green now, right?"

"Ugh, that's going to get old quick," she sighed. "Okay, let's hear your purple story."

"Well, there was this one time where I had to do this silly school project. We had to paint a picture, but we could only use paint or dye we had made ourselves. So, I was doing great, probably drawing something like cars; I can't really remember, when my dad walks in. He watched me for a while, and then I say something about needing purple, and he laughed. I asked him what was so funny, and he told me there was no way I could make purple out of anything we had. I knew that he wasn't right, and I wanted to prove him wrong, so I asked my mama and we started working on it right away. I think we tried blueberries, grapes, blackberries...lots of different things to see how many ways we could make purple. Afterwards, we showed it to my dad, who smiled and told me he was proud of me. I didn't know it then, but he was just trying to get me to work hard at something, to experiment with something new and unfamiliar. Realizing it now, makes it a really special memory."

Maya leaned on the broom handle, and blew a strand of blue hair out of her face.

"It must have been nice to have your dad around for stuff like that, huh?"

Lucas looked at her, and studied her expression. Her face was teasing, but her eyes betrayed the bitterness and hurt she felt. And there was something else too; something like longing.

"Yah, it was. But, you don't need a father to grow and change and become a better person. You do that on your own."

"Bet it helps," she said, and then ducked her head to continue her task.

He watched as she bit her lip, and tried to keep on her ever persistent mask. Lucas didn't understand that; why she couldn't open herself up. Well, he knew why, but he didn't know how it had affected her so badly...it hurt him to watch her go through pain. Every time something bad happened, he had always checked to see how she was dealing with it, and it was always the same; she never dropped her defensive walls.

And why did he care so much? Because she was his friend, right? And he would do anything to protect his friends...so why did helping Maya feel different?


	11. Taking the Jump

_**Author's Note: Please don't forget to REVIEW! And thank you to those who have already reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World; just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Taking the Jump

It was 5:30 in the afternoon, and Maya and Lucas were in the middle of the park. They hadn't meant to end up there, but it had kind of just happened. It was nice though. Despite it being cold, which Maya was used to having lived in New York her whole life. The native-born Texan on the other hand did not enjoy Manhattan during this time of the year at all. The small girl got a kick out of it each year, watching their Huckleberry freeze his butt off in weather that didn't faze anyone else. Seriously, he looked like a plump turkey ready for Thanksgiving, with all the layers he wore.

"So, are we going to go home now, or what?" Lucas asked, breaking the silence they had kept for a good 20 minutes.

"Why go home now? It's so pretty out here!" Maya gazed at the city skyline and the lines of trees.

"Because it's like 0 degrees."

"Gosh, Ranger Rick. Have some stamina!" She pulled out her phone, and flipped to the weather app. "And it's only like 46 degrees."

He shivered. "Yah, that's like a good 20 degrees below what we have in Texas."

She rolled her eyes. "Embrace the New York experience, Sundance! And don't you worry, winter doesn't last forever."

"You realize it's still fall, right? And that was a little cheesy, Shortstack."

"You need to stop calling me that," Maya protested. "That's the _only_ thing you call me."

"Was that an implication that you want me to give you nicknames?" Lucas raised his eyebrows.

"No...and it's not like a Ranger Rick could come up with any good ones, anyway."

"Well, I might just surprise you," he winked. "Consider it a hint for your future Christmas gift."

She shoved him. "That better not be my present!"

Lucas laughed, and pretended to suddenly be very interested in the mud puddle ahead of them. Maya narrowed her eyes, and shook her head.

"You got a lot of butt-kicking in your future, Huckleberry."

After that, it was quiet again for a while, and they happily walked underneath the trees. He wasn't sure how long she was going to hold out, knowing she got cold easily after a while, and that's when Lucas noticed Maya discreetly shivering.

He laughed. "That didn't last long."

"Hey, at least I'm not complaining!" she scowled. "And if I'm cold, then it's _actually_ cold, because I'm a born New Yorker."

"Whatever, Clutterbucket." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Is this what I get for saying something about being called Shortstack?"

"Yah, it is."

"Fine, but I'm only letting you off the hook cause I'm freezing. Do you want to get some hot chocolate or something?"

"That's sounds like a good idea," Lucas agreed, his teeth chattering.

"Do you know how far "Topanga's" is from here?" she asked.

He frowned. "No, I'm not sure."

Maya groaned, and looked around, standing on her tip-toes to get a better view. Lucas found it amusing due to the fact that he was still taller than her when she did it, and the rows of trees and people blocked their view. Laughing, he pulled out his own phone, and looked up the address on the GPS app.

"I think this will be a lot more effective," he said, pointing to the screen.

"Probably." She agreed.

They headed down the lane, trying to stay warm. It took them a lot longer than they expected though, and it was getting dark by the time they actually reached the end of the park. Maya insisted on a quick break by a small pond, because her heels were killing her feet.

"I hate and love these things at the same time." Maya grumbled, rubbing the bottom of her foot.

"You choose to wear them," Lucas reminded, sitting next to her on the park bench.

She ignored him, and stared out at the pond, completely enraptured by the sunset and the way it was reflecting on the water.

"I really wish I had my paint with me, right now," she whispered.

"You'll just have to make do with a memory."

"Gosh, have I ever told you how unbelievably cheesy you are?" Maya rolled her eyes.

"Yah, like 50 times today...but, you could always take a picture instead."

She did just that, and glancing down at it in disappointment, knowing it couldn't do the landscape justice. She tried to implant the scene in her mind instead. Because as ridiculous as Huckleberry was, he was right; this was a gorgeous sunset she knew she couldn't help but remember.

After watching the sun finally set beneath the horizon, and the stars start to appear, Maya decided she wanted to do something fun. Turning to Lucas, she gave him a mischievous grin, which made his eyes fill immediately with concern.

"Oh, great. What's it going to be this time?"

"I dare you to jump into the pond," she smiled, pointing to the water.

"Are you crazy?! It's freezing out here already!" He gaped.

"Oh, come on! We'll both do it."

"This has to be the dumbest idea you've ever had."

"Trust me, Ranger Rick, I've done worse." Maya rolled her eyes.

"Okay, but this is _really_ stupid," he insisted.

"Aw, are you scared?" she taunted.

"Um, scared of getting pneumonia! Don't you think you should have reason for concern?"

Maya crossed her arms, and stared up at his face.

"Can you just not be Moral Compass for one minute, and do something fun?"

"This isn't fun for anyone sane."

"Hey, insanity is a form of sanity!" she retorted.

"That's ridiculous thinking." He snorted.

"Okay, fine; tell you what. I'm making it into a bet, if you don't agree to do it right now."

He raised an eyebrow, and Maya grinned triumphantly.

"Great. So, here are the terms and conditions. If you do this, I have to call you Lucas for a whole week."

"Hang on." He held up a hand for her to stop. "It has to be a whole _month_."

Her jaw dropped. "A month?!"

"Yup," He said, smirking.

"Nu-uh." She shook his head vigorously.

"Then I guess I'm not doing it."

Sighing, she folded her arms, and glared at him. "Fine...but if I win, you have to do whatever I want for a day."

"Just a day?" He asked in surprise.

"Oh, you want more?"

"No! But, it just seems a little weird for you to be so—generous."

"What can I say? I'm a very considerate person!" Maya grinned. "But, just keep in mind that you _have_ to do whatever I want; no matter how crazy or stupid you may think it is."

"So basically you're forcing me to either risk getting sick, or having to suffer a day of torture at the hands of Maya Hart?"

"M-hmm."

"Normally I would pick any other option besides doing whatever you want, but I really can't get sick right now," he decided reluctantly, after glancing at the chilly water.

"Hah! I win!" she cried.

"Not yet. You still have to do it first," He reminded.

"But, you backed down! I win by default."

"Nope. It doesn't count," he said, shaking his head.

"Ugh. You're such a—"

"Language, Ms. Hart," Lucas warned.

"What? All I was going to say was that you're such a Cowboy..." she winked.

Maya glanced between Lucas and the pond, then making her decision, started to make her way down to the shoreline. Lucas's mouth dropped, as he scurried to catch up with her.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!"

"Of course I'm doing it. I get to boss you around for a day," she said, hopping over a tree branch.

"But, you could get sick from this," he protested.

"I'll be fine! I never get sick."

"But, you _could_."

She ignored him, and climbed over a big rock, scrambling up the hard surface. Jumping down on the other side, she trotted to the waterline, and dipped a tentative finger in. Crap, that water was _cold_. She could feel Lucas's judgmental gaze boring into her back as she stood up, so she made sure to put a blank and indifferent expression on her face. Then, tossing off her shoes and hat, she took a deep breath and started to run towards the water; deciding to just jump in and get it over and done with.

Lucas stopped her, right before she hit the water.

"Maya."

"Yes?" she asked hopefully.

"You should probably take off your coat too," he said.

"Oh, right." She said sheepishly, handing it to him.

And now there were no more delays. So, she sprinted towards the pond in bare feet and crashed into the previously calm lake. She was right, it was like jumping into ice water, and immediately her feet felt numb. There was a moment when the ripples had calmed down, and Maya was peaceful and serene, still recovering from the cold shock she had received. But, then reality set back in, and she panicked. The water was completely dark, she couldn't feel the bottom, and she hadn't taken a deep enough breath so her lungs were crying for air. She was glad she had taken off her coat, because even the thin layers she wore were dragging her deeper and further away from the shore. Maya didn't know how long she had been down there, but she felt her consciousness slipping away. It was kind of nice actually; slipping into the cold, silky embrace of the water...

And then, something grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up to the surface, where she gasped as air made its way into her dying lungs. Coughing and spluttering, she eventually found herself laying on the shore, spitting extra water out of her mouth. After getting over her initial panic, she groaned, and rested her cheek on the rocky ground.

"Maya, are you okay?!" Lucas lifted her up gently, making sure to keep a good grip on her.

"I'm fine." She returned hoarsely.

"That was so stupid!" His voice was quivering a bit.

She blinked at him through waterlogged eyes, and seeing that he was soaking wet, realized that he must have jumped in after her. His eyes were wide, and even though he had taken a swim in freezing waters, he wasn't shivering at all.

"Thanks," Maya croaked.

Lucas looked at her a bit longer, and then pulled her in for an embrace. She leaned in; he was warmer than she was.

"Please don't do that again...you scared me so much," he whispered.

"Hey, I'm okay now, Ranger Rick." She smiled up at him, her teeth chattering. "And now I know not to jump into ponds in the middle of November."

He was still worried, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged on the corners of his lips. Then, noticing her appearance, he became concerned once more, and wrapped her coat around her quickly.

"It's okay, Lucas. I'm just a little cold," she reassured him.

"Your lips are blue, you're deathly pale, and you're shaking so hard you kind of look like you're having a seizure," he disagreed.

"Then, how does something hot sound?" She suggested.

"I'm not taking you to Topanga's anymore. You're going straight home." Lucas handed her the hat.

"No, please don't." Maya gripped his arms. "My mom will freak out when she sees me."

"You're soaking wet!"

She didn't have an argument for that, so they stood in silence for a while, the only sound being Maya's teeth clacking as she shivered.

"And now, we go." Lucas spoke up, noting her attempts to warm herself up by hopping a little.

"But, she'll kill me! And it will all be your fault!" Maya whined, her lips numb.

"Well then, at least you won't get sick if you're dead," he smirked.

"You jumped in too! You could easily get sick," she pointed out.

"I was only in there for a little while. You were in there way too long." Lucas's face darkened again.

"Ugh, I really hate you, Huckleberry." She allowed him to wrap an arm around her as they made their way back to the path.

"I know."

* * *

"So, did you guys hear about that news story they spent all day talking about?" Zay changed the subject.

They had been discussing their upcoming Chemistry project, which he hadn't even started, so he had no interest in the conversation.

"What? Oh, yah...I heard something interesting on the news yesterday," Farkle said, shaking his head. "Gosh, how could people do something like that?"

"Like what?" Riley perked her head up. "What happened?"

"Uh, do you really think we should be discussing this in front of Riley?" Lucas asked nervously.

"Oh, c'mon! I have to grow up sometime...stop treating me like a kid!" she pouted.

"No, he's right. We should just talk about what we came here for." Farkle agreed.

"Which was...?" Zay asked, completely oblivious.

"Maya!" They all shouted in unison, looking at him in exasperation.

"Oh, yah...her."

"So, this conversation is long overdue, but it's going to be pretty short," Farkle stated. "We just need to make sure everyone is clear on how to deal with this and make it better."

"Okay, how do we do that?" Riley asked, her mind still half focused on the secretive news story.

"Well, I think the first thing we'll need to address, is the root of Maya's insecurities...I mean when you get rid of a weed, you pull it by its roots, right? Same thing here."

"But, Maya doesn't let us know anything...she hides from everybody." Lucas pointed out.

"It's going to take a lot of time and patience...it honestly could take months for us to even find out what's wrong initially, but during that time we'll just need to keep our eyes open for subtle hints."

They half expected Farkle to bring out a list or an essay on how to help people with insecurity, but he didn't. Instead, he folded his hands, and looked gravely at his friends.

"Did anybody else do any research?"

"I did." Riley's attention was completely on Maya now. "I read that it's super important to be supportive, which I think we all are, but you know because of her home life she hasn't always felt that way...so, we need to make it extra clear we're always there for her."

Lucas nodded. "And that we need to build her up...you know reminding her of how great she really is, even though right now she doesn't see it."

"Good," Farkle smiled. "This is going to work. We can fix Maya."

"I have something to add." Zay spoke suddenly, holding up his pointer finger.

"That's a shock," Farkle mumbled underneath his breath.

"Look, Maya's important to me too...so I spent some time researching. I learned that's it's really common for insecure people to view things irrationally, which Maya does a lot. That just means that whenever she starts to spin out of control, we need to be extra sensitive to what's going on, so we can stop or help her rationalize her thinking."

The group of friends—minus Maya—looked at each other. Every single one of them was so loyal to the others, that they would go anywhere or do anything to ensure that their friends were okay. It's what made them so close, and it was a really special and rare bond.

Riley interrupted the sappy moment by going back to their previous conversation. "So, what news story?"

* * *

She glanced at the slice of toast on her plate, and groaned as she realized she wouldn't have time to eat it before she left. It got worse, as there was a knock on the front door, and Ms. Hart had to put on her coat as she answered it. With a sleeve in the left arm, and her keys in between her teeth, she unlocked the door, and opened it to reveal Lucas.

"Hi, Lucas!" she mumbled through the keys. "Sorry, I'm already running late for the diner, and I'm having to multi-task."

"It's okay, Ms. Hart. I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to check on Maya," he apologized.

"Aw, you're really sweet. She's sleeping right now, but I checked on her last night and she seemed fine, though I wouldn't be surprised if she came down with a cold soon." She chuckled, putting her coat on fully, and grabbing her purse from the side table. "She probably won't admit it, but she'd be very grateful that you checked in on her."

"Well, it was kind of my fault," he said, stepping inside as her mother scrambled for the last of her items.

"No, it wasn't. She told me all about it." Pausing to look at the boy, her gaze softened. "Thank you so much for helping her. It scares me so much to think about what could've happened."

"She would have done the same for me, even if she is half my size." He laughed lightly.

"Yah, she would have." Ms. Hart smiled. "Okay, I'm very sorry but I have to run, but let Maya know I should be home around 10 or 11 tonight. Thank you again!"

"Of course," Lucas smiled as she shut the door.

Only then did he realize that he was in Maya's apartment, alone. Her mother must really trust him to leave them by themselves, even if they _had_ met multiple times, though it was usually at the Matthews' or the diner. At least Shawn wasn't there. Boy, that man scared him, and he wasn't even dating Maya! Not that the thought had crossed his mind, or anything.

He set down the bag he had been holding on the kitchen counter, then made his way cautiously to Maya's room. Unsure of whether or not to knock, he decided on the latter being the southern gentleman he was.

"Go away, mom. I love you, but I feel sick and I don't want Lucas or anyone else to know!" a grumpy voice called.

"Too late." He stepped inside, trying not to grin _too_ widely.

A mess of tangled blonde-blue hair lay face down on the bed, curled deeply in the blankets. At the sound of his voice, she raised her flushed, pink face and scowled.

"Who let you in, Huckleberry?" she said, sounding stuffed up.

"Your _mother_." He laughed, perching on the edge of her bed.

"Ugh." She buried her face back into the pillow.

"Aw, are you sick, Shortstack?" he teased.

"No," she said from the pillow.

"Great! So, how does a walk sound? I've got nothing else to do...maybe we could go swimming while we're at it."

"Just go make me soup already...I know you brought it," she smirked.

Lucas shook his head, and went to do just that. As he re-entered the kitchen, he tried to think back to when Maya and him had gotten so close. I mean, he was here making her soup in her house! Maybe it had started when they had the opportunity to spend a lot more time alone, because Riley and Farkle had been busy doing who knows what. They still all hung out together as a group, but ever since that Halloween dance, something had felt a little different between him and Maya. Not in a bad way either.

He opened the cupboards, and tried to remember exactly where their pot was. Yes, _pot_. The Harts weren't exactly known for their home cooked meals...or their organization apparently. As he rummaged through dishes, his mind wandered to yesterday. Again, they had been alone, walking through the park. Why was that again?

Lucas grinned in triumph, as he brought the pot out from the depths of the cupboard, and set it on the stove. He turned on the heat, and began the search for the can opener next.

Oh, yah. They were all supposed to meet up after school, but Farkle had a debate and Riley was going on a last minute date with Charlie, and Zay had suspiciously claimed he was doing his homework...Lucas actually suspected he was watching the cheer leading practice; it was his best friend's weakness. But, that was what had been happening frequently; all his friends rushing around to do various things.

And then they had been doing community service together, and Maya had started to open herself up to him. That had been really special for him, especially since she had that whole insecurity thing, and she was confiding in him all these things. Not to mention that he got to see the best part of her when they just hung out outside of school. It was like when they first met, and there wasn't any leftover awkwardness from the silly triangle, and no insecurities holding her back from being herself.

Lucas had successfully located the can opener, and had poured the soup into the pot. Now he just had to wait, and let his thoughts wander. Their friendship had definitely grown, but there were still the arguments and tension whenever he brought up something like her new clothes and makeup styles. He wasn't going to lie; he didn't like it, but he needed to remember to let nature take its course and be patient like Farkle said. It would all work itself out eventually, right? And in the meantime, it meant he got to spend lots of time with the "Blonde Beauty". Just thinking about the name made him blush slightly, and aroused old feelings of annoyance at Zay for bringing it up 50 gazillion times. Even if he called her that only in his mind, he wished he could actually speak it, so it could boost her self-esteem. That was the only reason, right?

"Hey, Huckleberry." Maya trudged into the kitchen slowly, her hair a crazy, wild mess around her shoulders. "Where's my soup?"

Right.


	12. Learning More

_**Author's Note: Thank you so much for those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and I hope you like this chapter! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **P.S. I couldn't help myself...a.k.a. Lucaya  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Learning More

"You're going to get sick, Sundance," Maya sniffed.

"Nah, I'll be fine...besides you're only sick because you jumped into that pond," Lucas reminded.

She shook her head. "No, that's not how it works. You can't get sick just because you're out in the cold or something for a while. Colds and the flu are transmitted through viruses, contracted from other people."

He stared at her, his hand frozen halfway to his mouth.

"Technically being exposed to harsh conditions does weaken your immune system, which makes you more susceptible to sickness. So, I _guess_ it was partly because I jumped into the pond," she shrugged, swallowing a bite of carrot.

Lucas raised his eyebrows, and gazed at her in surprise. Noticing him watching her, she glared back and sniffled.

"What?"

"I think the sickness is good for you, Clutterbucket," he teased. "I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable about it."

"Oh, no that's not it." Maya waved her hand around like she was shooing away a fly. "I just paid some attention in Science class last month."

"Then, maybe you should do that more often, huh? You might actually get 'A's'."

"I get lots of 'A's'!" she protested.

Lucas crossed his arms. "What class?"

"That one class where we have projects, and students, and pencils—"

"—and it's art class." He smirked. "Which isn't a real class."

"It is too!" Her jaw dropped. "You better watch your mouth Huckleberry...I'm sick, but I can still kick your butt."

She sneezed, and glanced sheepishly at him. "I still can," she said with less certainty.

"Oh, I know." Lucas winked. "So, how's the soup?"

"Huh? Oh, yah. It's great." Maya glanced down at the bowl, then looked back up at him, smirking. "Did you and your mama make it?"

"Why do you naturally assume that?" He rolled his eyes.

"One word! Muffin. Project."

"That's two."

"Whatever. All I remember was the whole conversation about "good eating and wholesome living"...admit it; you made this."

Lucas started cracking up. "Actually, I just found the can in the back of my cupboards at home."

Her mouth dropped open. "How dare you feed me this! I am deathly ill, and can't eat this "back- of-the-cupboard-soup"!"

"Okay, I'll just take it away, then." He grabbed the edge of the bowl.

"No! I'm sick, not picky," she grumbled, snatching it back.

"You know, for someone who's sick, you're certainly not acting like it," he mused, watching her with amusement. "You've only sneezed a couple of times."

"Must look better than I feel, then," she snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked, suddenly concerned.

"Oh, calm down, Sundance." Maya noticed his expression. "I just have a headache, and I'm stuffed up."

"Did you check to see if you have a fever?" He asked.

"No, I'm probably fine. See, I don't even _sound_ stuffed up." She waved him off.

Lucas laughed. "Actually, you kind of do."

"Whatever, not the point. I'm sure I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes at her, and noticed she looked kind of pink, and had only taken a couple bites of soup. Reaching out a hand across the table, he felt her face, which she immediately slapped away. But, he had already touched her forehead.

"I think you might have a fever. You're really warm," Lucas said, standing up to look for a thermometer.

Maya rolled her eyes, causing her head to protest and making the headache worse.

"I don't have a fever...gosh, you're so dramatic!"

"Where's your thermometer?" he asked, ignoring her stubbornness.

"I'll get it," she sighed, sliding off her seat slowly.

"No, I can find it for you."

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Huckleberry! I can take care of myself...in fact, thank you for the soup, but you can leave now. My mom should be home soon, and I'll be fine until then."

"First of all your mom's not coming home until 11, and second, stop trying to be tough all the time. I don't mind getting it." Lucas sighed in exasperation.

Maya rubbed her forehead in part frustration, part pain.

"Okay...fine, I don't really care anymore. It should be in the bathroom somewhere."

Lucas looked at her funny, and headed down the hallway. She had gone from joking to defeat in 2 seconds, and that's when he knew for sure she wasn't feeling well. He found the thermometer quickly, and rushed back to Maya, who had nestled herself into the couch cushions. Sitting next to her, he disinfected the metal, and handed her the gauge.

"I hate these things." She muttered, sticking it beneath her tongue.

"So do I," Lucas admitted, smiling a little.

"Dis' is ald your faulb," Maya pointed a finger at him.

"Don't talk while it's in your mouth. It won't work if you do," he reprimanded, closing her jaw. "And how is this my fault?"

She began to answer, when Lucas remembered what he had just said, and silenced her with a shake of his head.

"Never mind. It doesn't even matter."

They waited in silence for a minute, Maya focused on keeping her headache and sudden queasiness at bay. She hated being sick. _H_ _ated_ it! And she especially disliked her friends to know, so Huckleberry was going to have to leave soon...somehow. It wouldn't matter that she'd be home alone; it wasn't the first time...and it was always embarrassing to be sick. It was like the worst possible form of yourself; looking nasty and gross, and acting the same way uncontrollably. No way did she want anyone around for that. Not to mention the fact that the whole reason she was like this, was because she had jumped into that stupid pond and almost drowned.

"Okay, you should be good." Lucas took the thermometer out of her mouth, and checked for the temperature.

Maya sighed, and swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat. She was _not_ going to throw up...it was bad enough that she had a stuffy nose, and a really annoying headache.

"Yup, you have a fever." He showed the glass to her. "100.5."

"That's not that high." She closed her eyes.

"Uh, kind of...it's still a fever, and it could rise higher. You just need to make sure you drink plenty of water, and I can get you some ibuprofen if your headache is really bothering you." Lucas remarked, cleaning the thermometer.

"Okay, thanks...then you should leave. You could get sick, and remember, you can't get sick."

He rummaged once more through their cabinets, though this time through the medicine and pills.

"I'm not going anywhere, so please stop trying to kick me out. What kind of person leaves a sick girl alone on a couch, anyway?" He asked, checking the label on a white bottle.

"You." She groaned.

"Are you okay?" Lucas glanced her way.

"I'm fine, Ranger Rick."

He found the ibuprofen, and brought the bottle over to the couch, handing it to Maya. Remembering the water, he jumped up and grabbed her cup on the counter, then sat back down again.

"You don't have to be my servant." She squinted at the words printed on the bottle, her eyes hurting just trying to read. "Do I take like two?"

"Start with one, and then we'll see how you feel," Lucas told her, handing her the cup of water.

She lifted the pills to her mouth, but stopped half-way. Crap, she was going to throw up. Setting everything down on the coffee table, she ran to the bathroom, and made it just in time. Now, this she dreaded most of all when she got sick. Throwing up was her worst sick fear, and each time she felt nauseous, Maya would always try to quell it for as long as possible. Although, she knew she was really just delaying the inevitable.

She felt cool hands brush her hair back, as she continued to heave. Great, now Sundance was here. He found a hairband somewhere, and tied the blonde-blue curls back loosely.

Eventually, she finished vomiting, and rested her head on the wall. Maya couldn't meet Lucas's eyes, until he handed her a wet washcloth, which she accepted gratefully.

"I think you're sick." He smiled.

"Don't rub it in," she croaked in response.

"Okay, I think you should lay down. Do you want to rest in your room, or—"

"I'll just stay on the couch." She didn't want to be in her room, alone and with all the holes and depressing lack of artwork.

They cleaned up, and made their way back to the couch, where Maya groaned and sat down. Lucas handed her the ibuprofen and water, watching her closely. She returned his gaze, as she sipped from her glass.

"I'm fine, Hop a' long...and now you really _should_ leave because I've apparently picked up the flu from somewhere, and it's pretty contagious." She warned, leaning back onto a pillow.

"I think I'll live." He smiled at her.

"Ugh, for a cowboy, you sure are stubborn."

"Thank you, ma'am." Lucas tipped his imaginary hat, chuckling as she rolled her eyes. "Regardless, I'm staying...and we should probably let your mom know how you're doing, so I'll give her a call if you like."

"Oh, yah. I think I left my phone in my room, but it's pretty messy in there, so I should go get it," she said.

"No, I can get it...do you remember where you left it?"

"Uh, my backpack or dresser I think." Maya laid her cold hand on her heated forehead. "Somewhere like that."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Do you need anything else?"

She glanced up at him. "Could you get me my blanket off of my bed?"

"Sure." He started for her bedroom.

"Lucas."

He turned around in surprise at his actual name. "Yah?"

"Thanks," she whispered, a small smile on her lips.

"You're welcome, Shortstack."

Lucas winked, and continued his mission. Opening her door, he immediately felt like he was invading her privacy, but that was partly due to the fact that he had snuck in last month and still felt a little guilty. But, he couldn't help but survey the room in daylight. It wasn't a bad room despite the leaks and holes, and Lucas didn't know why she didn't like them there...he'd have to figure it out later. Hunting for her phone was surprisingly easy, because he found it right away in her backpack. Unfortunately, he found something else first. Frowning, he picked up the red spray paint, and shook it to see how much was in there; none. His heart started to beat faster, and he suddenly didn't feel too good. No, he couldn't jump to conclusions; that wasn't fair to anyone. But, things were adding up, and Lucas knew he was involved now; in whatever the heck was going on.

Folding the blanket under his arm, and clutching the phone, he made his way back to Maya; his mind still on the spray paint and " _Hope is for suckers_ " he had seen on her bin. Entering the living room, he laid the blanket gently over her, as she proceeded to tuck the corners in and bury herself in fabric up to her neck.

"Than—choo!" She started, right before lunging for a tissue and sneezing. "This isn't fair. I have a cold _and_ the flu!"

"It could be a lot worse, you know." Lucas pointed out, still sounding sympathetic though. "You really aren't sneezing that much, and you could have a cough."

"But, my nose is stuffed," she continued to complain. "And I have a headache...and I'm hot...and cold."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh a little. "Now you sound like yourself again."

"How?"

"You're complaining." He sat down next to her, and started to call her mother. "Do you want to talk to her, or—"

"Ugh, no you can do it. She won't give you the "it's your own fault" lecture."

"I'm sure your mom would be sympathetic—"

"Or, the "over protective watchdog mom" thing...it depends on her mood." Maya interrupted.

"Okay, be quiet now, I'm waiting for her to pick up." Lucas shushed her.

She began to fiddle with a tassel on the edge of her blanket, running the threads through her fingers. It was strangely calming, and it distracted from her headache.

" _Ms. Hart? Hi, this is Lucas...yah, I'm really sorry to interrupt you at work, but I'd thought you'd like to know how Maya is._ " He spoke into the phone. " _...yes, she's sick. No, she won't admit it._ "

She scowled, and ignored the pain in her forehead as she glared at him. Lucas grinned widely back at her, much to her further annoyance.

" _So, we took her temperature, and she has a fever of about 100 point 5, so she just took some ibuprofen...no, but she does have a headache, and a stuffy nose._ " He cleared his throat, as her mother responded. " _...um, no she doesn't, but I think she has the flu too, because she just threw up a minute ago."_

Lucas covered the speaker with his hand, as he turned to Maya.

"She wants to know if you want her to come home."

She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, and he gave her answer to her mother.

" _...then, yes I'd be willing to stay._ "

Maya groaned, and flopped further into the couch, much to his amusement.

" _No, I don't mind; and I have nothing else going on today...yah, but I'm okay getting sick...no, I don't really think I will. I rarely do...okay, I'll let her know, and I'm really sorry to have bothered you...great, thank you. Bye._ "

Lucas ended the call, and placed the phone on the coffee table.

"Let me know what?" Maya asked from underneath her blanket.

"Oh, she wanted you to know that if you want her to come home at any time, she will." He said.

"Okay..." She sighed. "...but, you really don't have to be here."

"You're getting on my nerves, Clutterbucket! This is the fourth time you've tried to kick me out, and I'm still not going anywhere...you're stuck with me for the day, sorry." He said, sounding unapologetic.

"Fine, but no rope tricks, square dancing, or horse birthing stories, got it?" She listed them off on her fingers.

He laughed. "Sounds good."

Maya watched him with a smile. Their eyes met, as the last chuckle escaped his mouth, and her breath caught in her throat.

Lucas wanted to get out of the awkward moment as much as she did, so he changed the subject.

"So, my mama is really into homeopathic stuff, and I know a couple of things that could make you feel less sick, and get better fast." He cleared his throat. "If you want."

She smirked. "You mean your mama's into "healthy, wholesome living, good eating" and—"

He put his head in his hands. "Come on! You're sick...please don't—"

"—"and the natural cornucopia of the earth's bounty"?" Maya finished innocently.

"Yah, fine she is...but, that's why I don't get sick very often," Lucas said.

"Okay, whatever," She said, knowing she was right. "What do you recommend, Dr. Huckleberry? Ooh, that's a good one."

"Dr. Huckl—you know what? Never mind...well, I could make you some tea; that's always nice."

"Actually, that sounds really good. I don't know if we have any though," Maya admitted.

"Don't worry about it; I brought some." He stood up, and walked to the counter.

She sat up, and turned around to watch him, eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean you brought some? You _knew_ I was going to get sick, didn't you?"

"Maybe."

Her jaw dropped. "Unbelievable."

* * *

"Mom," Riley hopped into the seat next to her. "Do you think I'm immature?"

"Why would you ask something like that?" her mother asked in surprise, setting down her book.

"Well, my friends don't like to tell me things...a lot. It kind of makes me feel childish and irresponsible and well, immature. And I know they made the "Riley Committee" to help me, but maybe I want it to end now."

"Okay, well why don't you tell them that?" Mrs. Matthews suggested slowly.

Riley sighed in frustration. "I've tried...they just think I need to be protected."

"Like from what?" she asked, curious to know the reason behind her daughter's sudden quest for maturity.

"Well, apparently there's this huge new story going around that they refuse to tell me about...it's not that important, so much as that they won't _tell_ me."

"Okay. I understand that, Riley. But, maybe you just need to prove to everyone that you're mature enough to handle these kind of things." She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her daughter's ear.

"How can I do that, when they won't give me anything to work with?"

"Well, do you really want to know about the news story?"

Riley nodded.

Her mother sighed, and nodded. "Okay, long story short. There's this small art museum not too far away from here, that got vandalized...no one knows who did it, or how they broke in—"

"Wait," her daughter interrupted. "They got _inside_?! Oh my gosh, did they steal the paintings?"

"No...not exactly." She shook her head. "They actually painted over the paintings themselves."

Riley's eyes became wide. "How could someone destroy art? That's a stupid, irresponsible, and illogical thing to do!"

"I agree. But, let me just tell you this; at the end of the hunt for these "artists", there's going to be a lot of money to pay, and court sessions to be had," she remarked.

She leaned back. "Wow. That's terrible."

"Yes, it's really disappointing and sad to see people do things like that...why do you think your friends didn't want you to know about this?" She changed the subject.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's because they know I have faith in everybody, and see the good in everything. And they know that I'd want to fix it, or I would think about it all the time...I guess they were just being good friends, though."

"Not necessarily, honey." She met her daughter's gaze. "As much as they mean well, I think you're right; they can't protect you forever, and they need to start letting you learn on your own. Because if they don't, as soon as you're on your own, you're going to fall and it's going to be extremely difficult to get back up...so, I think you should readdress it with them, and make sure they understand that you're going to learn from your mistakes, and face the world without them as a shield."

"Okay," Riley nodded in understanding. "I just don't want them to think I don't appreciate them."

"They won't think that, sweetie. Don't worry about it." She squeezed her daughter's hand.

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course, Riley." Mrs. Matthews smiled. "And I'm glad that you feel comfortable coming to me with these things...I really appreciate it."

"You're one of my safe places, mom. You'll always be," she hugged her.

"Good." Mrs. Matthews returned the gesture. "I hope Maya is one of yours too. She needs you just as much as you need her, and even if you're the one talking, it's really special to her that you trust her."

"Oh, you already know she is!" Riley brightened at the mention of her best friend. "Peaches and I need each other to survive."

Her mother laughed at her dramatics. "Yes, you girls are kind of like Shawn and Cory 2.0... How is Maya by the way? I haven't seen her around that often, and I meant to ask."

"Honestly, I don't really know," she sighed. "I do know she's dealing with some stuff right now; which the rest of us are trying to help with."

"Be careful with that, Riley. You can't fix everything, you know, and you definitely can't force people to change; only they can do that themselves," she warned.

"I know, mom. But, it's my responsibility to fix my friends; or at least do whatever I can do to help them. They would all do the same thing for me...and they have."

"I don't know what's going on with Maya, and I'm not asking you to tell me, but I hope you'll come to us if you guys need help," Mrs. Matthews said. "I just don't want you to push Maya too far; because people can only take so much, and sometimes friends don't realize when they need to stop."

"Don't worry about that, mom," Riley reassured her. "I already told you that you'll always be my safe place...and Maya's too; she's told me that she sees you as an important mother figure, and she's really grateful to know you."

"Maya said that?" her mother asked; touched.

"Maybe not in those words, but—yah."

"Well, I hope Maya knows she's welcome to talk to me anytime...in fact, I'd love for her to do so."

Riley leaned back, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I have a good feeling that time will come...probably somewhere in the next couple of months."

* * *

"You should go to sleep, you know," Lucas advised. "Your body needs rest."

"I'm not tired." She said with a yawn.

"Right."

"I'm not!" Maya protested.

"Then what do you want to do? Your head hurts, you just threw up again, and there's like a mountain of tissues right next to you."

She glanced at the aforementioned pile.

"Thanks for reminding me of how sick I am," Maya said sarcastically.

"My pleasure," he said, sounding quite pleased with himself. "But seriously, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," she answered curtly. "I guess we could talk, if that's alright with you."

"Yah, sure." He smiled, ignoring her irritation.

Maya looked down at her blanket, and ran her hand over the smooth surface.

"Blue."

Lucas smiled, and drank from his cup of ginger-lemon tea.

"This one wasn't too long ago, actually. I was with Shawn at this restaurant—I think it was 3 months ago—and he wanted to spend some time with me or something. So, we weren't actually talking though, and it was really awkward. But then the waitress came up, and asked us if we wanted some free dessert. I'm not even sure why, don't ask me...anyway, we obviously say yes because who doesn't like free food? Then a couple minutes later she brought out this whole plate of different desserts, and it was all blue! Like _e_ _verything_ was some shade of blue, from the cake to the cookies to these little chocolates...again, not really sure why, but anyway Shawn gets a kick out of it, and ends up telling me this funny story of how he dyed everyone's food blue when he was a kid." She sipped her own tea, soothing her sore throat. "And then, it all goes uphill from there. He tells a story, I tell one...after that we actually start talking about family and friends. It was one of my first, real important talks with Shawn, and I feel closer to him now than before that day."

Lucas studied her before responding. "I'm glad you have someone like that to talk to. And that Shawn can be kind of like a father to you."

Her eyes revealed her hidden hurt at the mention of the word "father", but she smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yah, he's pretty cool."

"Okay, I guess I have to do one now?" he asked, changing the subject.

She nodded, and setting down her mug, laid down and watched him from the corner of her eyes.

"So, mine was actually from a long time ago...well, from when I was a little kid I guess. It was my first real picnic, and I was super excited because we were going to go fishing, and hiking, and spend all day playing outside. You know; a little boy's dream. Everything was going great; I had caught a fish, found a really cool rock, and it was the perfect temperature to be outside. Then we were hiking back to the hill to eat our lunch, and my mom tripped over a rock and hit her head really badly. We rushed to the hospital, and I remember the waiting; the nervousness and overwhelming sense of fear it brought. Once we heard the news that she had a mild concussion, and she was going to be okay, everything felt better and the day turned out great after all...but it had still been the scariest moment of my life. I almost lost her."

"Where's the blue, Huckleberry?" Maya asked softly, after a moment of silence.

"When we walked into her hospital room, I immediately rushed into her arms, and hugged her as tight as I could. As soon as we were done, she comforted me and told me everything was going to be okay. Then, she showed me this bracelet I had made her for her birthday last year. She had it around her wrist, and she told me that the whole time she was in pain, she had been thinking of me. I was what helped her feel better...It was a blue bracelet—a small kid's craft—but she kept it."

Maya watched his eyes water a bit, and she placed a hand on his, much to Lucas's surprise. "I'm glad she's here now."

He was filled with gratitude and comfort at Maya's care. "Me too, Shortstack."

She took her hand off, and rolled over on her side to face the wall.

"I'm going to go to sleep now...thank you for helping me."

"I thought you weren't tired," he teased.

"I'm sick, Sundance. Cut a girl some slack," she grumbled, and promptly fell asleep.


	13. Getting Involved

_**Author's Note:**_ _ **Hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to REVIEW! Thanks to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited this story! You guys make my day! :) (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **Here it is guys! The chapter that you've all been waiting for...Also, you may have noticed I changed the genre from Humor to Hurt/Comfort-I felt like it was a little more appropriate.**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12/12/16  
**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Getting Involved

"You're cheating," Lucas accused, thumbing through his cards.

"Nu-uh. You're just really bad at this," Maya denied.

She was leaning against the wall, her legs crossed, and her hair in a bun. Lucas was straight across from her, perching on the edge of her bed. She had been feeling better, now that her fever had gone down, but he still insisted on staying with her, so here they were.

"Then, explain to me how it's possible you got 6 pairs in a row," he crossed his arms.

"Magic, Ranger Rick," she waved her hands around in a dramatic gesture.

He snorted. "Oh, yes. The magic of cheating...such wonder and amazement."

"I excel in wonder and amazement," Maya said primly, drawing a card from the pile.

Lucas watched her handle the cards, and narrowed his eyes in suspicion as she smirked and found a card she was looking for in her hands.

"And, the lucky pair is...the 8 of clubs!" she exclaimed triumphantly, just before setting the match down on her thick pile.

"Unbelievable. You are unbelievable, Maya Penelope Hart." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Hey, don't just throw that name around," she warned, shuffling the deck. "You're going to regret the consequences if you do."

"Like you cheating in a game?"

She rolled her eyes, and was about to make some sarcastic reply, when her mother stuck her head in the door.

"Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I just needed to let you know our plans for Thanksgiving; since they're kind of last minute," she smiled.

"Isn't that like 2 months from now?" Maya asked.

"That's 2 _days_ from now," Ms. Hart raised an eyebrow.

"Ugh, I hate Thanksgiving," she groaned, closing her eyes, and flopping back dramatically.

"Why? What's wrong with Thanksgiving, Shortstack?" Lucas questioned, looking down at her with curious eyes.

"It's so stereotypical...this perfect, happy family gathers around a big table loaded with homemade food and talks about how great their lives are. Such a wonderful holiday," she answered sarcastically.

"That's ridiculous, Maya."

"Hey, just because you think differently—"

Ms. Hart cleared her throat, and glared at her daughter.

"Anyway, I just thought you'd want to know that we're going to the Matthews' for dinner that night."

Maya opened one eye, which she fixed on her mother. "Don't we do that every year?"

"No, last year we went to your cousin's house in Brooklyn, and the year before that we went to aunt Rose's, and then—"

"Okay, I remember it all now!" Maya exclaimed.

"Good." She turned to Lucas. "How about you? Are you planning on spending Thanksgiving with your family?"

"Of course he is," she snorted.

He looked at her warily before speaking.

"Actually, no...my mama is working, and well, the rest of our family is in Texas. So, I'll probably just hang out at home, and watch some football," he shrugged.

"Oh, that's no fun." Ms. Hart put her hands on her hips. "Why don't you join us for dinner?"

"Uh, mom? Shouldn't you ask the Matthews' first?" Maya whispered, not so discreetly.

"I hate to agree with her, but she's right. I wouldn't want to intrude on you or their family, but thank you for the offer," Lucas said.

"No, no, no... I'm sure they'd be just fine with it! I can give them a call, if you'd like." Ms. Hart offered.

"You don't have to do that, ma'am." He shook his head, but she was already out the door, and calling the Matthews'.

Maya laughed. "And then there are times my mom actually does something."

"I really don't mind being alone that much," Lucas said to himself, fingering a card.

"Aw, Cowboy all alone...probably missing his cow friends and all the hoe-downs and cattle pageants." She clucked in mock disappointment.

"Please stop."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Huckleberry. I'm just helping you reminisce the good old cattle days," she smirked.

"You are so—"

"Language, Cowboy." Maya smirked.

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "I wasn't even going to say anything!"

"M-hmm."

"I _wasn't_!"

She hummed, and continued to ignore his protests, as she finished shuffling the cards in her hands. Then, looking up at him, raised a questioning brow.

"What do you think, Huckleberry? Another round?"

"You're kidding right?" Lucas snorted.

"You're just afraid you're going to lose again." Maya inspected her fingernails.

He rolled his eyes. "No, I just don't want to play with a cheater."

"Hey, I'm not a cheater!" She glared at him, and grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "I'm an artist, so you have to give me respect! That means not calling me a cheater."

Much to her confusion, Lucas's amused expression turned hard and dark. She let go of his shirt, and leaned back a little.

"Hey, Ranger Rick. What's running through that Cowboy head of yours?"

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the battle ahead. "I think we need to talk."

"Um, okay...spill." Maya said cautiously.

Lucas swiped her backpack from the ground, and rested it on top of her bed. He started rifling through it, but Maya snatched her bag away from him.

"What the heck are you doing, Sundance?!"

He easily grabbed it back, and brought out her empty spray paint can. Lucas watched her expression turn pale for an instant, just before she put up her walls, and donned her protective mask.

"Why are you going through my stuff?" She questioned, trying to sound fiercer than she felt.

"Maya, we need to talk about this." Lucas held up the can.

She started to speak, but he put up a hand to stop her.

"Please just hear me out, okay? So, I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I've suspected for a while that you're doing things...like vandalism." He studied her face for any emotion. "And I saw your " _Hope is for suckers_ " on the school wall, and on your art bin. So, I started to put two and two together, and it all adds up."

"You can't accuse me of something like that, Ranger Rick," she snarled, but her heart was thumping.

"I'm not..." He said slowly, calculating his next words carefully. "But, I'm willing to hear you out, if you'll just talk to me about some stuff."

"Like what?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

There was no way she was spilling her guts to Huckleberry. But, it would make things so much easier and—no, she had to stick with her secret for a little longer.

"Like if you had anything to do with our school's vandalism."

"I didn't do it, okay? And I thought I made it clear that—" Maya said angrily.

"Well, if you didn't do it, why don't you just say so?" Lucas was getting fed up with her.

She resisted the tempting urge to wring his neck, and chose to take the moment to calm herself down instead. As she studied him, her thoughts turned to ones of possibilities. If she told him, he might understand; after all he was still her friend, right? Or maybe he wasn't, and was just there because he pitied her. But, then why would he have helped her when she was sick?

Lucas could be her safe place; heaven knew she needed one. Besides Riley of course, but this was something she couldn't even tell her. Maya decided to address it in a moment, realizing Lucas was glaring daggers at her.

"Stop looking at me like that...You know what? Forget this. You want me to tell you things? Fine; I did it," she admitted, too irritated and confused to care anymore.

"What?" Lucas said, disappointment replacing his anger. He had already been almost one hundred percent sure that Maya had done it, but there was still that small chance she hadn't.

"There's more," Maya blurted without thinking it through, because now she was on a roll, and it was hard to stop.

"More?" he asked, his voice full of shock and surprise. She was opening herself up quicker than normal, and he wasn't complaining, but it made his nervous because it meant something serious was about to be said.

Inside, she was feeling the same way, and currently beating her stupid self up for making the second dumbest mistake of her life. Why the heck did she think it was a good idea to tell Ranger Rick about "The Project"? She had just been trying to convince herself _not_ to! This was not going to end well if she couldn't wiggle her way out of the mess she had just created. But, she knew she couldn't; it was too late because no one can take back words.

"Talk to me, Maya." Lucas waved a hand in front of her face, but her brain was still focused on her inner turmoil.

On the other hand, she really wanted Lucas to know because she felt somehow that it would ease her guilty conscience, and someone besides Jazz's group would know. Maybe she could even convince "Moral Compass" to do it with her. Ha, yah right...But, for some other reason she really needed Lucas to know, and it was bugging her. Why did she have to care so much about what he thought about her?

"Maya!" His voice finally snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry." She lifted her gaze from her hands to his eyes. They were green. How had she never noticed that before?

"Okay, why don't you just tell me what's going on, because I'm really confused and worried," Lucas admitted.

She sighed and took a deep breath...she really was stupid.

"You know that news story on the art museum?"

He nodded, still puzzled. Maya licked her lips nervously; her heart beating a mile a minute and butterflies exploding in her stomach.

"I did that." She said so quietly, you would have only heard her if it was dead silent; which it was.

Time seemed to slow down, and everything seemed out of focus. Dumb, stupid, dead, reckless...her chest rose quickly, and her head was hot. Trash, not good enough, loser...her palms were sweaty and she couldn't move. Failure, lazy—okay, where was this all coming from? Maya took a deep breath and forced herself to stop hyperventilating.

It was all broken though by Lucas's nervous laugh.

"I don't think now is a good time for jokes, Shortstack. Can't we just talk about the whole vandalism thing? I'm going to listen to your side of the story too, don't worry."

"Lucas." She had his attention. "I'm not joking."

He froze, his eyes locked on her.

"What do you mean?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "I did it, okay? A little slow on the uptake aren't you, Huckleberry?"

"No names right now." He started to get angry. "You better be making this up...do you have any idea how serious this is?"

"Yes." Her face fell.

"What the hell, Maya?!" Lucas forced her head up.

She couldn't bring herself to jerk away from his grasp, the tension thick in the room.

"Don't curse, Sundance."

"Ha, you do it all the time." He laughed bitterly, fire in his eyes. "And now we're actually going to discuss this...you're absolutely telling me the truth? You _actually_ broke into a museum, vandalized paintings, and got away with it?"

"Yes," Maya replied flatly.

"Why?" Lucas shook his head in disbelief. "I can't even imagine why you would do something this stupid and dangerous. This is beyond some silly high school prank, Maya. You could get thrown in jail!"

"I know," she said simply.

Lucas rubbed his forehead, trying so hard to contain "Texas Lucas". He took long, deep breaths and focused on a spot on the back wall.

"Why?" He asked again.

"I don't know." She looked at the same spot. "It just happened."

"Who made you do it?"

"What do you mean? No one made me do it."

"There's no way you did this by yourself. You're many things, Maya, but this is beyond something even you would normally do...so, who was it?"

"Just some people I know."

He snorted in annoyance. "Gee, thanks for the answer...I'm not leaving until you give me all the information I need. You decided to tell me, so you need to realize that you have to deal with the consequences of that choice."

She didn't even try to fight back, or make some sarcastic remark. There was just no stamina left in her; and she felt weak and exposed and guilty. Though on the outside, she looked pretty tough to Lucas.

"My cousins, and some of their friends...they've been trying to get me to hang out with them for years, and one day I agreed. It kind of escalated from there, obviously."

"Okay, well at least it was only one time. We can probably get this all cleared up—" Lucas said slowly, trying to be reasonable, and not lash out at his friend.

She looked up at him. "It's not over."

His breath caught in his throat. "What do you mean?"

"They're planning this whole chain of destruction. From here all the way to this big museum, which will be our last stop. It's kind of a whole revenge story," she explained reluctantly. "Jazz's mom works at the last one, and she's trying to get back at her. It's a long story."

"Who's Jazz?" Lucas wrinkled his nose.

"My cousin...and the leader of the group," she said bitterly, trying to keep _some_ disgust out of her voice. "Let's just leave it at that."

"So, why are you involved, if this is all about her?"

"Like I said; it kind of just happened."

Lucas couldn't keep his gaze off of Maya now, and he didn't even know how to process this information. I mean, what the heck do you do with something like that? Tell the police? His mom? Someone?! But, this was Maya...his friend. And he protected his friends, no matter the circumstances. Except there were always limits, and Lucas wasn't sure if he had reached that boundary yet or not.

Maya was watching him too, and she could tell he was struggling with the news. But, even though it didn't look good for her right now, she couldn't explain the odd sense of relief that filled her body. She never liked carrying secrets around, although she knew that she had more than she could count, and now she had just released a big one. It felt good.

"When is their next "attack"?" Lucas broke the silence.

"November 30th...so next week."

"Are you still going to go?"

She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "Yah."

"Okay." He cleared his throat, and looked her dead in the eyes. "I'm going with you."

"Ha. That's cute, Huckleberry." Maya said with a small smile.

"I'm serious."

"You know you could get thrown in jail, right?" She threw his words back at him. "And besides, there's no reason for you to throw away your future. I've made a decision, and just because I decided to tell you about it, doesn't mean you need to make the same choice."

"I'm going to make sure you're safe," Lucas admitted. "And unless you change your mind, you can't convince me not to go."

"I don't need a bodyguard, Heehaw," she protested, throwing up her defense system. "I can handle myself just fine."

Lucas couldn't help but grin at the nickname, although it was a super tense and serious conversation they were having.

"You haven't called me that in a while."

"Get used to it. I'm bringing them all back slowly," Maya breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't let "Texas Lucas" escape, and they were going to be okay.

"Look," Lucas changed the subject again. "I can't understand what the heck is going on in your head, or why I'm stupid enough to go along with this, but I'm not going to be mad at you...I want to, but I can't. Even if this is the stupidest thing you have _ever_ done."

"I know," she said, her voice solemn. "I've told myself that a million times."

He sighed. "I care about you Maya, and no matter what you do, I'm not going to leave you or hate you. Just remember that, okay?"

She nodded, and surprised herself when she leaned forward to give him a hug.

"I'll try," Maya said honestly.

Lucas stroked her hair in comfort, and sighed. "I'm your friend. That's what we do." He pulled apart to look at her directly. "But, don't think you're going to get out of this. I'm doing this one time, and then we need to do something about this "group". This is really serious."

She nodded, and regained some of her dignity. "Okay...but this is the only time you get to boss me around, got it?"

"I think I get to decide that, Shortstack," Lucas smirked.

"And why's that?"

"You're not tall enough to handle that kind of responsibility."

"Oh, yah? And who fought Missy Bradford, and won?" She challenged.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Technically neither of you won. And who got suspended after that fight, huh?"

"Shut up, Ranger Roy," she said.

"Oh, he's back now?"

"M-hmm."

They sat like that for a while, knees touching, and eyes on each other. The sun was setting, and it cast a calming golden light over everything.

"Maya," he spoke up, staring into her blue eyes. "Why did you tell me about all of this?"

She took a deep breath, and broke away from his gaze. "I was tired of carrying around so many secrets...just telling you one, feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I don't feel half as guilty anymore. But, don't worry, I won't be telling you about anything else."

He grew suspicious. "Is there something else?"

She stiffened, her eyes turning sharp. "No." Maya lied. She was _not_ going to tell him everything.

"Okay." Lucas wasn't stupid; he knew she was lying. But, he was going to let it go for now, because she wasn't ready, and Lucas wasn't going to push her any further.

"Hey, so they were fine with it, and—" Ms. Hart stepped into the room, and glanced in surprise at the two teenagers. Something had happened while she was gone.

"Great. I'll ask my mama," Lucas said quickly, scooting further away from Maya. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Of course." She narrowed her eyes at them, but decided to temporarily let it slide, whatever _it_ was. "Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?"

"He would," Maya spoke up.

"I'm sure he can speak for himself, baby girl," she smiled.

"I'll have to check, but I'm sure that would be fine," Lucas grinned at Maya.

"Wonderful...it should be ready in 20 minutes or so, if you're staying," Ms. Hart said. "I'll be out there if you need me, okay?"

"Thanks mom," Her daughter said.

After she left, Lucas turned to the small girl.

"I guess you do enjoy my company, Clutterbucket."

"Shut up."

Then, he gave her a sudden hug which she returned with surprise.

"What's this for?" she asked in confusion.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly.

Maya closed her eyes, and let herself get temporarily lost in the warm, rare feelings of comfort and love. It felt good, definitely. But all good couldn't last forever...that was a life lesson right there.


	14. Making Small Talk

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and any comments or criticisms are welcome! Really, any feedback you have, even if it's a small little note/comment! It really encourages me, and helps me have that energy to keep writing! :) (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12-31-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

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Chapter Fourteen: Making Small Talk

All she had to do was clear her throat, and Riley practically bounded from her seat to the front door in one stride.

"Peaches!" she cried, throwing her arms around her. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"I just saw you yesterday," Maya reminded.

"Years," Riley insisted.

"Okay, honey," she conceded, laughing. "Consider this a Thanksgiving reunion then."

She beamed in response, and led Maya to the couch, bouncing a little on the cushions.

"So..." Riley raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"So, what?"

"How are you?! What's going on? Is there anything new and exciting happening—"

Maya silenced her with a hand over her mouth, shooting her a look. "Again, we _just_ saw each other yesterday."

"But, lots could have changed," the bubbly brunette pointed out, removing Maya's hand. "And you still haven't told me why you wouldn't come over on Sunday...or Saturday...or Friday."

"I was—busy."

"Oh. Doing what?"

"Um, swimming. And laying on couches, eating soup...giving the Kleenex company lots of business." She couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Huh?" Riley was completely lost.

"I was sick," Maya admitted.

"You were sick?!" Her mouth dropped open. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have come over, you know."

"I know, Riles. I didn't want you to get sick, and besides there was still school going on."

She sighed. "Yah, learning is important."

"Whatever you say, honey."

"So, how did you get sick? Nobody else at school is sick...did you pick it up from the diner or something?" Riley questioned.

"Actually I'm not completely sure...the virus could have come from anywhere," Maya shrugged. "But, I probably wouldn't have gotten sick if I hadn't jumped into that pond."

"What pond?" she asked suspiciously, suddenly concerned.

"Uh, the one down by the park," Maya answered reluctantly.

"What? Why would you do that?"

"Well, mostly because I dared Ranger Rick to do it, which he didn't," she added with a smirk. "And so now I get to boss him around for a day. Or two, if I'm sneaky."

"When did this happen?" her friend asked, puzzled.

"Well, you know how we were all going to hang out on Friday? None of you could make it except Lucas, so we just hung out by ourselves and wandered around the park. It was getting dark, and it was freezing, so I got the idea to jump into the water. It was an interesting experience."

Riley narrowed her eyes, and grabbed the smaller girl's hand. "How cold?"

"Um, like 46 degrees?" She guessed, furrowing her brow.

The brunette's mouth dropped open. "And you swam in _freezing_ water?! You're lucky you didn't get pneumonia!"

"Riley, please don't lecture—"

"Ha, I'm not done yet! That was a completely irresponsible and stupid thing to do, Maya! What were you thinking? Why didn't Lucas stop you? He should have, you know...wait, that makes this his fault!" she started to ramble.

"Great. Now it's settled; it's all Huckleberry's fault...actually I like that conclusion," Maya smirked.

"But, it was your idea, so you know what? It _was_ you!" Riley continued. "Not to mention the fact that you can't swim—"

"I can swim," she interjected crossly.

"—and it was in the afternoon, getting colder—"

"It was already nighttime," Maya mumbled.

Riley whipped her head towards her. "What?!" she demanded.

Just then, the door opened, and a familiar figure walked in. Even though she didn't really want to see him, she welcomed the boy because it got her away from Riley.

"Josh!" Maya cried in relief, prying herself away from her friend.

"Hey." He smiled awkwardly, closing the door and taking off his coat.

"Uncle Josh!" Riley shrieked in annoyance.

"Yah, nice to see you too," he replied sarcastically.

Just then Auggie sprinted into the room at full speed, and launched himself into his arms. "Uncle Josh!" he exclaimed in an entirely different tone.

"See, that's what it looks like when you're _happy_ to see someone," Josh smirked at Riley.

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to have a serious conversation with Maya, here." She looked pointedly at the girl beside her, who merely shrugged.

"Serious, huh?" He grinned at Auggie, and set him down on the ground. "That's no fun, is it buddy?"

"Nope." He smiled widely, before bringing his uncle's head down to his. "We should get out of here before they infect us with it."

"Sounds like a plan," Josh whispered back, before taking the boy's hand and running out of the room.

Riley snorted, but Maya was watching the interaction with interest. Coco had been right; he was a bit of an actor. What she saw of him here and at the museums were two very different personalities. How could one person be so confusing and manipulative?

"And now we get to talk about how you jumped into a pond, in November, at night," Riley crossed her arms and cleared her throat.

She groaned and sunk deeper into the couch. "Lay off, Riles."

Almost immediately after she said that, there was a knock on the door, and the two girls' reactions were very different. Riley actually screamed a little, while Maya let out a huge sigh of relief and went to answer it. It was a certain Cowboy, and she had never been happier to see his ridiculous hat tip.

"Evening, ma'am," he said.

"You have no idea how much you're going to regret coming here right now," Maya warned, leaning against the door frame.

"What? Why—" Lucas started, clearly puzzled.

Riley stepped beside her friend, and scowled. The boy's eyes widened and he shifted nervously.

"Hey, Riley."

"M-hmm...yah, you got a great sense of timing, you know that?"

"Uh, thanks?"

Riley threw up her hands, and stalked back to the couch, allowing Lucas to walk inside and Maya to close the door. He sat on a chair far away from Riley, and waited for Maya to join them before starting a conversation.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" he said, ignoring the odd gestures the small girl was giving him to stop.

"How a certain Maya wandered into a freezing cold pond at a park."

"Oh," he swallowed. "Well, I definitely remember that. Good thing I was there, right Shortstack?"

She muttered something under her breath, while the brunette turned to Lucas with sudden interest.

"Why? What else happened?"

"She didn't tell you?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, this will be good." Riley straightened. "Let's hear it, then."

"Uh, maybe Maya should tell—"

"No! You know she won't say anything, so talk right now!"

"Fine...she almost drowned," Lucas blurted out.

"Wow, Huckleberry. Way to sugarcoat it." Maya lifted her head from her hands.

"You almost _drowned_?! How could that be something you didn't tell me?" Riley was beyond upset and over dramatic. "Oh, I had a nice weekend...I got sick, ate some soup, and almost drowned!"

"Riley—" Maya rubbed her forehead in frustration.

Mrs. Matthews chose that moment to walk in. "Hey, are you guys ready for dinner? Shawn should be here soon, and then we can eat."

"Unbelievable." Riley threw her hands up.

The blue haired girl on the other hand shot up, and ran to hug Mrs. Matthews. "I love you so much right now."

"Thanks, sweetheart." She looked at her suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"She almost died, is what she did," her daughter called from the couch, sulkily.

"Well, that's certainly a story I'd like to hear." She raised an eyebrow at the girl clutching her tightly.

Maya looked up at her with big, baby blue eyes. "Please don't make me."

"Oh, honey." She stroked her hair. "You think you have a choice."

She immediately let her hands drop to her sides, and lifting her head, marched back to the couch.

"Wrong way, Maya. It's dinner time."

"I thought we were waiting for Shawn," she said. "Wait a minute. Where's my mom? She said she was coming early to help you with dinner."

"She's with Shawn and Cory. They're picking up dessert, because I didn't have time to make it this year. And we aren't eating just yet, I want you guys to wash your hands and help me set the table."

"What about the boys?" Riley protested.

"They already helped me with something. Besides how many people do you need to put plates and some food on a table?" her mother pointed out.

She sighed, and joined the other two who were already moving towards the table. And so Thanksgiving dinner began with putting out silverware.

* * *

"Hey, we're back!" Shawn called from the front door, as he lifted the grocery bags he was carrying.

Ms. Hart and Mr. Matthews trailed behind him, each taking off hats, scarves, and coats. The children lounging on the chairs and sofas lifted their heads lazily, and glared at the adults.

"And...time." Maya stopped the timer on her phone, and then glanced pointedly at them. "That was an extra 32.4 minutes of us waiting, thank you."

"Hey, did you want pumpkin pie, or not?" Shawn said defensively.

It wasn't until Maya got up with Riley to help him take the bags that he noticed how different she looked. The first thing that caught his eye was the blue hair that seemed to be its own nuclear light system. The second thing was the dark, heavy makeup on her face, which he had never liked on anyone. It was too much for Maya; it made her look way too old, and he had the feeling that boys were probably looking at her in a way they shouldn't. That thought alone made him feel over protective and angry. What added to that theory was the short skirt she was wearing, accented by the high heels on her pale feet. Why was nobody else saying anything about this?

Mrs. Matthews and her husband noticed Shawn's expression as he watched Maya, and they glanced at each other. They had reacted very similarly when she had first started dressing like this, and they had expected Shawn to feel the same way. After all, he was very much like a second father to her, even if his job took up a good amount of his time.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Mr. Matthews instantly calmed Shawn's mixture of concern and anger. He looked back at his life long friend, and knew they were going to have one of those heart to heart chats later.

But, for now, he had dinner to eat.

* * *

"We need to talk."

Josh looked up from his phone in surprise, and met the dangerous eyes of the short girl staring down at him.

"About what?" He asked nonchalantly, though he had a good idea what she wanted to discuss.

"You know what," she scoffed.

"Lets pretend I don't."

"Then, I can explain it to your thick skull in the bay window."

Josh raised his eyebrows, but got up and followed her to where Lucas was sitting; which he wasn't expecting. The boy in question looked just as confused as to why the two were standing in front of him.

"Hey..." Lucas started slowly.

"Okay, enough, Huckleberry." Maya grabbed the front of his shirt, and hauled him up. "You. Me. Bay window, now."

"Ooh! Can I come?" Riley piped up from her chair.

"Not this time, honey," she smiled apologetically.

"Why not?" the brunette pouted.

"Because I need to talk to these two." She narrowed her eyes at the anxious boys.

"I would tell you to have fun, but Maya looks angry," Riley remarked.

The blue haired girl snatched both of their wrists, and dragged them to the bay window quickly. Shutting the door, she turned to face them, hands on her hips.

"Okay, Shortstack. What's going on?" Lucas asked, settling into the familiar seats.

"Before I begin, I will advise you not to speak until I am done." She drummed her fingers against her side. "And then, we can discuss. I promise it's very short."

Both boys stared at her in silence, not just because she had threatened them, but because they didn't even have a clue what to say.

"Great," she smirked. "So, I guess I should start with saying that Lucas knows all about "The Project" thing."

Josh broke the vow of silence. "What? You told him?"

"I thought I said no talking?" she snapped.

"Fine." He was angry though.

Maya went back to her speech. "Anyway, that's what I brought you both here for. We need to talk about it, and the fact that Lucas needs to get the full information on it, because he's joining us next week...I was hoping Josh could help with that."

The aforementioned boy turned to Lucas in surprise, but forced himself to direct his attention back to the small girl first.

"Permission to speak?" he asked sarcastically.

"Granted," she said, pleased.

"Great, thanks." Josh looked at Lucas. "Look, I know I've only met you once or twice, but aren't you like "Lucas the Good"?"

"Ugh. Does everyone know about that?" he sighed in annoyance. "And I'm only going because I need to make sure Maya's safe."

"Trust me, she's perfectly fine on her own. She's made that crystal clear."

"Wait a minute," Lucas looked from Josh to Maya. "How does _he_ know about the art museums?"

"He's involved," she answered simply. "Actually works at the big one we're going to hit last...so, he has some purpose."

"You're involved?" The younger boy turned to him. "That's something I never would have seen coming."

"Yah, I was pretty shocked myself," Maya added.

"Well, I was just as surprised when my niece's friend showed up in the middle of the night, and agreed to vandalize a building," he retorted.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I have just as much right as you to—"

"As much as I'd love to see you two fight, I don't have the time or patience," Lucas interrupted sarcastically.

"No one wanted your opinion, Bucky McBoing Boing," she said crossly.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what's up with all the nicknames?"

"Shut up!" The other two said in unison.

"Gosh," He shook his head, and directed his attention at Lucas. "How did you even get her to be okay with you being her bodyguard? I would have bet my money on her biting your head off by now."

"Yah, so would I," he admitted. "Actually, why _haven't_ you bitten my head off? I mean literally, too."

Maya bit her lip, and debated how to answer. When she had agreed to let Huckleberry join her, she had been vulnerable, upset, and guilty. That didn't make for a good conversation, where she could be more defensive...honestly, if he hadn't been there that specific day, she probably never would have told him. Maybe her day had been ruined because she had started getting longer and more frequent texts from that mystery person. That was enough to ruin anyone's day...or maybe it was because she was getting too close to him, and she _had_ felt safe around him. Maya wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or if it was going to hurt and destroy her in the end. Because she'd had plenty of experience in that department.

"I don't know," she tried weakly.

"Really? That's all you're going to give us?" Lucas asked in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ranger Rick. Did you want me to plan your funeral instead?" she snapped.

Josh started laughing, and Lucas gave him a wary glance as he shook his head at Maya's outburst.

"You're really something, you know that?" the older boy said through his chuckles.

"Hey," Lucas suddenly grew grim, and felt unexplainably hot and angry. "She's just speaking her mind you know?"

"Calm down, Cowboy," Josh smirked, as the younger boy glared at him. "I didn't mean that in a bad way."

Maya shot him a confused look, and Lucas tried to control his breathing. What the heck was wrong with him? Jeez, he was acting like a jealous boyfriend—oh, crap. No, changing the subject was a better idea.

"Moving on. What do I need to know?" Lucas asked, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Are you serious about doing this?" Josh questioned.

He glanced at Maya, then back at the boy next to him. "Yah, I am."

"Then all you need to know right now, is that we meet at the grocery store on 5th, head down to the art museum, and don't get caught," he replied cockily. "Pretty simple."

"What time?" Lucas said indifferently.

Josh narrowed his eyes in challenge. "11:45. If you're late, too bad because we won't be waiting for you."

"Don't worry about that. I'm always right on time," he smiled falsely.

Maya shook her head at the boys' odd exchange. She knew she couldn't possibly begin to understand them, so she let it go.

"You forgot something though, right Josh?" She reminded him.

"Care to elaborate?"

She smirked. "Don't forget to bring spray paint."

"I can manage that," Lucas said, trying not to let the guilt show in his voice.

He knew that what he was going to do was so dangerous and reckless that it could cost them life long consequences, but it was to help Maya. Even if him just being there got her to regain her senses, he would do it over and over again. Because she was his friend, and his friend hadn't been acting like herself lately...and he was going to fix it. No matter what it took.

A knock came from the bedroom door, and Maya wiped any nervousness off her face, as she went to open it.

"Hey, kid," Shawn said, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Can I have a turn in the window?"

"Sure," Maya said suspiciously, eyeing the new arrival. "I'll just have to kick out these two."

She turned to the boys, who had already gotten up, and gestured for them to walk out. Josh gave her a half-smile as he exited, and Lucas did his imaginary hat tip thing. Maya tried to replace her grin with a smirk, but Shawn and Lucas saw her slip-up before she did. The boy winked, and Shawn narrowed his eyes, glancing from him to Maya. That was something to be dealt with later; right now it was time to have a chat with Maya, and later on, Cory.

"Okay, Hunter." She crossed to the bay window, Shawn right behind her. "Let's hear it."

He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. He had never been good at this, especially since it was something so new in his life, and he really didn't want to mess it up. So, he decided the best option was to just go for it.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt or push you away Maya," Shawn started. "I've dealt with that before, and I definitely don't want the same thing for you."

"Where's this going?" the small girl narrowed her eyes.

"What's going on with you?" he blurted out. "I saw you like last month, and you look completely different."

Maya rolled her eyes, and let out a frustrated breath. "Why is everyone so against change, huh? I don't like it as much as the next person, but for heaven's sake, all I'm doing is dressing differently!"

"I don't think that's it."

"Look, I don't need this from you," she ran a hand through her hair. "So, if that's all you have to say, lets just end it now, and call it good."

"I'm not going to leave, Maya." Shawn watched her expression. She was way too good at putting up her protective mask; just like him.

"That's a first," she snorted.

"I'm sorry my job—" He began, actually sounding apologetic.

"I'm not talking about you, Hunter."

Right. He should have known that. "I want you to feel like you can talk to me. I want to be your safe place, Maya because everyone needs one."

"I already have Riley." She stared out the window blankly.

He kept his eyes on her face. "I have found that there are different kinds of safe places out there."

There was an awkward pause, and Maya turned her gaze to the window. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't want you to say anything, Maya," Shawn sighed in frustration. "There's no obligation here. I hope you realize that."

"There's always expectation, Hunter. Can't argue with that; there's always going to be some kind of standard for whatever you do, everywhere you go, from everyone."

"I don't agree with that."

"Well, guess we're not so alike," Maya shrugged, and stared fixedly at what she believed was the North Star.

Shawn chuckled a little. "Oh, you and I are alike...but just because people are similar doesn't mean they have to think the same way. Sometimes when you share traits or behaviors with a certain person, they could possibly act like another part of you that you don't realize you have. And sometimes it's good to spend time with that person, because they could bring that out in you."

She drummed her fingers on the windowsill, and still refused to look at the man beside her.

"And your point is?"

"Don't be afraid to trust in people, Maya. We want to be here for you to talk to, to confide in. I don't want you to have to keep things bottled up inside, because it never ends well; not for you or anyone else."

"That's nice that you care. Thanks for the consideration, I'll see you next year," Maya answered sarcastically, not sure how else to answer.

"Maya, stop," Shawn said sternly.

"Stop what, Hunter?" She crossed her arms, and finally looked back at him.

"Ignoring me! Avoiding the subject!" he exclaimed. "Look I understand, I really do. But, that's the good thing about being similar - I've already been through this. And I know that it's not good to keep hiding; it will eventually catch up to you later, and by then it's too late."

Maya rolled her eyes, and sat up straighter, smoothing out her skirt as she shifted.

"Fine, I don't care. But, I'm not going to spill my guts to you or to anyone else."

"What about Lucas?" he retorted back, without thinking.

She widened her eyes in surprise, but quickly tried to hide it. "What are you talking about?"

"It's kind of obvious that something happened between you two...I'm not pretending like I know what it is, but there's some kind of connection."

She shook her head. "No connection."

"Liar," Shawn accused.

"You can't just say that. You don't know anything!" Maya scowled. "And why would you? You're never around, just like my dad. Except worse, because now I've already dealt with him leaving, and once you do it; I'm not forgiving you."

"I'm not leaving!" he said defensively.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Hunter," she said tauntingly.

"I'm not. I mean it, Maya. I care about you and your mother...and yes, I hate that my job takes me away from you guys, but what am I supposed to do about it?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But, if it's important to you, you'll figure it out."

Shawn shook his head. "Problems aren't that easy to solve."

"Yah, I know," Maya said bitterly.

"Look, I'll leave in a minute, but first I need to finish this. What I want to make sure you get out of this; if not anything else, is that you have people who are more then willing to listen. And as long as you're willing to talk, you have someone to rely on - more than one if you would let them."

"I don't need anyone else but Riley," she insisted.

"Lucas?" It sounded like a question, but it was more of a statement.

"He has nothing to do with this, and it's none of your business."

He raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you say...I hope you'll think about what I said."

Maya crossed her legs, and ran a hand through her hair, an indifferent look on her face.

"Maybe."

Shawn sighed, and nodded because he had kind of expected her reaction. Didn't make it any less frustrating, though. He got up and crossed over to the door, opening it, and about to leave; when Maya spoke.

"Hey, Hunter?"

He turned around. "If you don't plan on sticking around for very long, my mom's off limits," she said slowly.

"I don't think that's your decision, Maya."

"And I think it is," she said coldly. "She's part of my family. Yah, she's busy all the time, and sometimes I'm home alone, but she stays...and I won't let her get hurt again, so you better be careful."

Shawn didn't really know what to say, but he gave it another shot.

"I'm not leaving," he reassured her. "And I'd never hurt your mother."

There was a long silence, and so eventually he turned on his heel and left. The conversation was obviously over, and Maya hadn't made any progress with her defensiveness. How was he going to get past her mask? He loved that kid, and he wanted to help her, but he understood that it would take time. A lot of it. But, where did he start?

Maya sat in the bay window, thoughts and feelings running rampant through her brain. Shawn didn't know what he was talking about, and she didn't believe it for a second.

" _I'm not leaving"_.

Yah, right. They all said that.


	15. Caught In the Act

_**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, it means a lot!**_

 _ **And I want to thank TreeHill5Ever and Eloi22 for continuing to review on each chapter, it is SO appreciated! I would also like to thank the guest who left the wonderful comment for last chapter, that's quite an accomplishment then-thank you!  
**_

 _ **As to the chapter itself, please give it a chance...everything will be explained in due time. That includes actions, thought processes, and decisions-good or bad. ;) Thank you!**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12-31-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Caught In the Act

It was a cold, fall day, a good day to be inside, which is what the group of friends was doing. They sat around the small coffee table in Topanga's, enjoying the warmth of the cafe, and drinking ice cold smoothies. It was a tradition, so even if it was literally freezing outside, they would still be there with their cups full.

"What do you guys think? Do you wanna catch a movie or something?" Riley asked as she sipped her drink.

"I don't think so, Riles." Maya shook her head. "I have stuff going on, but you guys can still go. It's not a big deal."

"Can you just go today?" she pleaded. "There's this really good one that I wanted to go see."

"Actually, I can't go either," Lucas winced.

The brunette popped out her bottom lip, and stared at them adoringly with big, brown eyes.

"Not going to work, honey," Maya smirked. "I've been saying "no" to those for years."

Lucas hadn't though. He turned to the small girl, and looked at her with question in his eyes.

"NO!" she snapped.

"Oh, c'mon..."

"No."

"When does the movie start?" the boy asked, turning to the brunette.

"Um, well since it's already kind of late, there's only one more showing." Riley flipped through the information on her phone. "Wait. It _starts_ at 10?!"

"Guess it's settled then," Zay spoke up. "We all know this girl can't stay up later than 9:30...maybe we should just take her home, and let the princess sleep."

The princess in question scowled, an expression they didn't see often on her face.

"Look, I may not stay up as late as you, but that doesn't mean that I _can't_."

"Prove it." Zay raised his eyebrows, and twirled his straw between his fingers.

"No, she won't do it." Farkle studied her. "My observations say she would either fall asleep around 10:30, or feel guilty 5 minutes later and run back home to tell her parents everything."

She slammed her smoothie down on the table, and folded her arms.

"Okay, I've had enough of this! You guys are always telling me I need protection from the world, that I'm immature, and dumb. Well, I'm changing that now."

"We don't say that, Riley," Lucas said, baffled by her sudden outburst.

"Yes, you do. All of you." She looked pointedly at each one of her friends.

"Riles, we're just trying to protect you...nothing wrong with that," Maya consoled.

"Ever think that maybe I don't want to be protected? Or I don't need to be?" The girl stood up, glaring angrily at everyone, or at least trying to.

"If we didn't do that, you wouldn't be who you are today," Farkle remarked. "I don't think you would be happy or optimistic at all."

"Fine. Now that I know who I am, will you stop treating me like a kid?"

"But, you can't even sneak out for longer than 10 minutes!" Maya exclaimed. "It isn't a bad thing, honey. It's just who you are."

"Yah," she said softly, sinking back down into the chair. "A happy-go-lucky girl, who can't do anything wrong, gets good grades, and is goofy and weird."

"I still don't see the problem."

"Maybe I want to grow up now," Riley commented, staring straight into their eyes.

The "Riley Committee" looked at each other, and made a unanimous decision. They were still going to shield her from the bigger things if they could, but they were willing to help her learn to stand on her own two feet.

"Okay, honey," Maya smiled at her friend. "Lets grow up."

"Not too much," she added.

"I'll try."

Lucas interrupted the moment, deciding it was time to move on. He wasn't sure how he felt about letting Riley go. That's basically what they were doing, watching her change from the sidelines. Not necessarily a bad thing, it just meant things might be a little different, and there sure was a lot of that happening lately.

"So, tell you what. Riley can prove her maturity by going out to this movie, and Maya and I will do whatever we have planned."

"Wait a minute," she narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean _we_? Are you guys doing something together?"

"No!" they immediately said in unison.

"Real convincing," Zay smirked from his spot.

"Shut up, Nutcracker," Maya scowled.

He grew defensive, coming up with a weak excuse. "For your information, I've never done "The Nutcracker"!"

"Can't say that, I was there, man." Lucas laughed.

Maya's whole face lit up, and her eyes held an evil twinkle. She burst out laughing, and almost spilled her smoothie all over the couch and herself. Zay was grumbling, but everyone else watched the small girl with amusement.

"This is like the best thing ever," she snorted.

Riley giggled at her best friend's reaction, and glancing over at Lucas, noted his expression with interest. He was completely fixed on Maya, a huge grin plastered on his face. To anyone else, it would've seemed like he was just laughing along with her, but their friends could read them much better. Farkle had noticed the same thing, and was exchanging silent conversation with Riley. This was very interesting, and he couldn't wait to discuss it once those two were gone.

"You know what?" Zay spoke up crossly. "Go ahead and do whatever you want. We're going to the movies."

"Okay," Maya shrugged, still smiling. "Thanks."

"You're not supposed to say that," he scowled.

"What can I say? I'm very unpredictable."

Lucas finished his smoothie, and checking the time on his watch, blinked in surprise.

"It's already that late?"

"How late, Huckleberry?" Maya leaned over his arm, to look at the time.

"Uh, around 9."

She glanced out the window, and seeing it was dark, started to gather her things along with everyone else.

"Seriously, where does the time go?" she muttered, shaking her head.

"Time flies by when you're having fun..." Riley beamed. "Or when you're with friends."

"Yah, it does," she gave her friend a quick hug.

"So, I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Farkle shrugged on his coat. "Hope you studied; there's a big pop quiz in science."

Maya groaned. "I'm pretty sure I'm still in the contagious stage, so I'll be calling in sick tomorrow."

Riley snorted. "Right, which is why you were hanging out with us all day...and you went to Thanksgiving dinner."

"You're losing your touch, Shortstack," Lucas taunted.

"No, you guys just know me too well," she groaned.

"That's true."

Everyone finished putting on whatever warm clothing they had brought, and stepped out into the chilly night air. It hit them with a shocking wave of wind, and everyone promptly shivered.

"Well, enjoy the movie, Riles." Maya rubbed her arms.

"Thanks, peaches. You enjoy—whatever you're doing," Riley said amicably, though obviously not approving of the fact that she didn't know.

"I'm sure I will." Maya forced a smile.

Farkle, Zay, and Riley waved goodbye, then headed down the sidewalk to their right. Lucas and Maya stood there for a minute, watching them leave, then turned in the opposite direction to do the same.

"You know you should've brought gloves or something," he remarked, watching the girl beside him breathe on her fingers.

"I'll live," Maya replied. "I just didn't think about it."

"But you have to be at least a little cold," he remarked. "Maybe no more skirts until spring?"

"What do you know about fashion, Ranger Rick?"

"I know that you don't wear heels, short skirts, and no gloves in November—almost December—weather."

She glanced down at her pale legs, and decided she should at least think about that suggestion. But, at least she had brought a coat, because her short-sleeves would have reduced her to a Popsicle.

"I guess, but who really needs a hat, gloves, and a scarf?"

"You should at least wear gloves."

"Why would I do that, when I can just steal yours?" she teased, her eyes twinkling again.

"Are you implying that you're going to—hey!" Lucas cried as Maya triumphantly pulled the gloves off of his hands.

"Give those back, Clutterbucket."

"Nah, I think I'll just wear them instead," she smiled sweetly, putting them on.

"But, now my hands are cold."

"You'll live. Consider it an initiation into New York winter weather...you have to get used to it sometime."

"I've lived here for like 3 years; and I'm still not used to it. There's no hope, so will you please give them back, now?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because obviously my hands need to be warmer than yours, Sundance," she rolled her eyes.

"And why is that?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow, and crossing his arms.

"My hands freeze quicker."

"Right, because they're so small," the boy grinned.

"Shut up, Cowboy."

"You say that a lot."

"And yet you still don't take a hint."

* * *

"So, what do you guys think about all of that?" Riley asked, tying her scarf tighter around her neck.

"You mean Maya and Lucas?" Zay asked, perking up for the first time since the "Nutcracker" thing.

"Who else?"

"Well, I think it's about time," he snorted. "I've been watching them since you guys called it quits on the triangle."

"That's kind of creepy, dude," Farkle spoke up, glancing at the other boy.

"Why? We watch people's lives on television all the time."

"They're not on television," Riley reminded.

"They might as well be," Zay shrugged.

"But, you think they might like each other?" she asked, putting the conversation back on track.

"Duh...I just don't think they've either realized it themselves, or they're in denial."

"Huh." Farkle nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right...so what do we do about it?"

"Why does it matter so much? They can deal with it themselves," Riley said.

"Says Ms. Butt-Into-Everyone's-Business," Zay smirked. "That's all you do Riley, get involved in people's lives."

"Like I told you, I'm growing up," she said haughtily.

"That's the only reason?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yah, of course—oh! You think—no, I like Charlie, remember?"

"Okay," Farkle shot a warning glance at Zay; who was about to say something. "Let's just move on."

"Right." The girl leaned against the sharp wind. "When do you think they got so close? How could we have not seen it?"

"They don't even see it themselves," Farkle pointed out.

"Yah, but we're on the outside, and we're their friends. We should have seen it."

"I guess. But it's not our lives, you know."

"Yes, it is. Because they're a part of our lives." Riley made sure her friends were paying close attention to what she was saying. "And I'm not saying we need to necessarily know every little detail of their lives—even if we want to—but I know that once someone enters your life, they add to you. They impact you in some way good or bad, and shouldn't you know who you are, and what makes you, you?"

"Yes, but—"

"I don't think there are any buts on this one, Farkle," Riley stopped him. "People change people, and when they do, you should recognize those changes...you should know all about them, and the people who caused them. Because it's important, and it's just life."

Zay smiled at his friend. "So, you're saying we can still get involved? Did you just change your mind?"

"Yah, I guess I did," she stared up at the lights all around her. "Because I guess growing up doesn't mean stopping everything, it just means changing the way you see things and how you do them."

"So, does that also mean we get to play matchmaker?" he asked slyly.

"Zay," Farkle protested.

"No, I like that job," Riley smiled. "It might be fun, too."

* * *

"I still can't believe you actually showed up, Huckleberry," Maya shook her head, as she walked up to where he was waiting. "You could have just dropped me off, and not come back."

"I told you I would," Lucas said, and opened her car door for her.

"You don't have to do that," she said, as she climbed inside.

"I don't mind."

"You're making it way too easy for me," Maya warned.

"What? You mean being a southern gentleman?" he teased back, and then walking around to the driver's seat.

"Yah, that," she said, once he was inside. "You know, being a year older does have its perks."

"You mean because I can drive?"

"M-hmm."

"Yah, I guess it's nice," Lucas agreed, putting the keys in, and releasing the parking brake.

"Are you sure you're okay with driving your car there? Cause where we're meeting isn't exactly known for its safety."

"Maya, when I signed up for this, I knew not a single part of it was going to be safe," he said.

She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. There was silence for awhile, and she found herself watching Lucas drive. Maya had never had the chance to start to learn, because her mom was always busy, and they usually used the subway or something. But, she was turning 16 next year so she'd like to learn soon. Technically she could get her learner's permit somewhere in the next couple of months, but then she'd have to actually study for that. And if that had to happen, she'd have to learn; which brought her back to square 1.

Lucas noticed her watching him, and he smiled at her.

"You know how to drive, Shortstack?"

She shook her head. "No, never really had any interest."

"Yah, right. You've been paying attention to me for the last 10 minutes." Lucas looked out the window, and even though he knew he was on the right road, he also knew he shouldn't be there. "I could teach you if you want, sometime."

"That's okay, Huckleberry," Maya smiled. "I don't really have any use for the knowledge anyway."

"Well, even if you don't use it for awhile, you're definitely going to need it someday," Lucas countered, turning down a dark, vacant road. "And I have a car you could use, so why not?"

"You really don't have to—"

"I don't mind, Maya," he interjected. "In fact, I want to. There; will that make you shut up, now?"

"Yah," she smirked, but was secretly pleased.

As he turned right, they found themselves in a vacant parking lot; in front of an abandoned grocery store. Lucas chose a spot near the front, parking perfectly in between the boundaries.

"Wow," Maya laughed. "There's no one else here, Sundance. You don't have to park nicely."

"Rule number one," Lucas held up a finger. "Always park nicely."

"Why?" she shook her head in disbelief, unbuckling her seat belt.

"Because that's what you do when you learn to drive, Clutterbucket," Lucas rolled his eyes, thinking the question didn't warrant an explanation.

A tap on the window caused a small shriek to escape Maya's lips, and for her to jump a little. After they got over the surprise, Lucas opened his door, and stepped out; with Maya doing the same on the other side.

"Well, you scare easily, Hart," Coco smirked, hands on her hips.

She scowled. "No one asked you."

Suddenly she noticed Lucas, and looked at him in interest. "And who are you?"

"I'm Lucas." He held out a hand.

Coco raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. "Ah, one of those. Cute." She turned to Maya. "So, why's he here, Hart?"

"Oh, Huckleberry's my ride," she smirked at him. "And he's joining us for tonight."

"Really?" Coco narrowed her eyes at him as she looked him over.

Maya nodded, and the older girl grabbed her arm, and dragged her over to the side.

"Can we trust him, Hart? And you better be honest," she whispered.

She glanced over at Lucas, who had a concerned look on his face, and she smiled a little.

"Yah, we can...don't worry about it," Maya reassured her. "He's probably one of the best people to trust."

Coco smirked at her face, and leaned back. "So, you guys are a thing, huh?"

"What?" Maya looked completely baffled, and she could feel her face turning hot. "No, not at all. Ranger Rick is just a friend."

"Could've fooled me."

Maya ignored her, and they headed back to Lucas.

"By the way, what's up with all the nicknames?"

"Oh, that?" The boy answered for her, as they stopped in front of him. "Three words: I'm from Texas."

"That would explain the handshake," Coco said.

"What handshake?" Jazz stepped forward, the rest of the group collecting behind her.

"Oh, apparently that's how Mr. Texas greets people." She smirked.

"And who might you be?" Jazz appeared to be indifferent, but her eyes were dangerous.

"Lucas," he answered.

She pursed her lips, and looked from him to Maya, choosing not to discuss it. "Okay...I have stuff to destroy, so let's get going."

Lucas and Maya trailed behind a bit, and she could tell he was mentally noting each little thing about the group. So far, she had to admit, it didn't make for a great first impression.

"Let me guess, that was Jazz." He glanced at the tall girl at the front of the crowd.

"You're a genius, Sundance."

"What's up between you and her?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's some obvious tension there," Lucas remarked.

Maya faced forward, and bit her lip. "Maybe I'll tell you someday."

* * *

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"If you can do it, I definitely can."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maya asked defensively.

Lucas cocked his head, and traced the frame with his finger.

"If you can destroy something so important to you, then I have no reason to doubt that I can too."

"It's not important."

"Oh, yah? Then tell me, what does this painting mean to you?" He pointed at the artwork.

"Nothing," she brushed him off.

"Give it your best shot, Penelope."

She rolled her eyes, and tried not to get too angry. It wouldn't end nicely, and they couldn't afford to be loud and obnoxious; not here.

So instead, she decided to oblige Ranger Rick, and dissect the painting a little bit. It pictured an ocean, and its waves crashing on the small shore. The name was "Ocean Under The Evening Glow".

"I see the calm before the storm," she spoke softly. "The waves look they're coming in bigger and bigger, and the clouds are crowding the sky; blocking the sun. Soon, it's going to turn dark and stormy."

"I don't see that," Lucas said thoughtfully.

"Then what could you possibly see besides that clear picture I just described to you?" Maya raised her eyebrows in interest.

"Something new and promising on the horizon." He pointed to the tiny patch of orange sunlight. "I don't think the clouds are closing in. I think they're leaving."

"That's predictability optimistic," she snorted.

"No, not necessarily. It doesn't mean there won't be some heavy waves, it just represents the hope that after it's all done, there's light that's ready to break through."

"Destroy it then," Maya said, her face dark.

Lucas gave her a hard, concerned look, then turned to the painting. Without hesitation, he pressed the nozzle, and a mist of colorful yellow covered the cresting waves. Maya's eyes widened, and she wasn't sure whether to be pleased or just plain scared.

"Did you hear something?"

She turned to Lucas with curiosity, but he shook his head to say that he hadn't spoken. Both of their eyes widened. They grabbed their things as quietly as possible, trying to run away from the approaching footsteps. They didn't even think about where they were running to. Just away. At some point they didn't even know where they were, because both of their minds were muddled, but it probably wouldn't have ended the way it did if they had been paying attention. Because just at that moment, a bright light shone in their eyes and they froze, not daring to move or make a single sound. The one thought that was going through both of their heads was; _caught_. Over and over and over.


	16. Trying and Failing

_**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **P.S. Yes, I'm one of those authors: cliffhangers are so fun to write... ;) You guys are awesome, thanks for sticking with it!  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12-31-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Trying and Failing

Maya felt a hand grip her arm tightly, and it was reassuring. Lucas was still there with her, even when they were going to be arrested. " _It was going to be okay_ ," he had said. Now it wasn't, and it was all her fault. Why did she let him come with her? She should have stopped it when she had the chance...and now it was too late.

"Maya."

"What?" she whispered, her eyes involuntarily shut.

"Open your eyes."

"Why—oh."

She cracked them open to find the light gone, and in its place two retreating car headlights. They were standing right in front of a window, and the light had only come from the car as it had driven down the road.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, looking a little worried as she stood there blankly.

"I'm fine, Huckleberry." She glanced at him then readjusted her bag strap. "But, we should probably go now, before they actually do catch us."

Lucas gave her a once over, then nodded in agreement, starting to head down the hallway. Maya was grateful when they finally reached what they hoped was a safe location. She was an artist not an athlete after all.

"I think my heart was literally about to explode," she groaned, resting her hands on her knees.

"Mine too," Lucas agreed, pacing his breath. "That was way too close."

"I'm so sorry I got you into this." Maya brushed a strand of blue hair behind her ear.

"It's okay, Shortstack. We didn't get caught."

"But, we could have been, and almost were."

"All part of the Maya Hart experience, right?" Lucas grinned.

She shook her head, and tossed her bag off of her shoulders. "Are you okay, Huckleberry?"

"What? Yah, I'm fine," he said, a little baffled. "That was random."

Maya looked up at him with something like remorse in her gaze.

"I'm checking because you just destroyed a painting...that's not exactly "Moral Compass" worthy."

"Oh, then yes, I'm fine," Lucas said, not really sounding fine at all.

"Gosh, Sundance! It's okay...you're acting like me; hiding and stuff." She threw up her hands.

He turned to her with interest. "So, you admit you hide from people."

"No! That's not what I was saying," Maya said defensively.

"Really? Because that's exactly what it sounded like."

"We're talking about you, Huckleberry," she said in annoyance.

"Hiding," Lucas taunted.

"Stalling," she retorted, sticking her face in his.

He sighed, and looked around the room they had entered. It looked like a completely different wing, but he wasn't sure. Walking to one, he stared at it, not really sure what made it significant to him.

Maya joined him, and stuck her hands in her pockets, while taking in the painting as well.

"Look, huckleberry pie," she smirked.

"It says it's blueberry."

"Nah, the artist didn't realize what it really was when he was painting it," Maya said stubbornly. "Those are obviously huckleberries."

"Well, doesn't matter, since we're destroying it," Lucas couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice.

She equally studied the boy and the painting, and came to a conclusion. "We don't have to ruin this one."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought your goal was to destroy every single one."

"Yah, except we have this thing where we leave behind one painting each time...sort of leaves a message."

"Really. I wonder whose idea that was."

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged. "But, how about we keep this one? Jazz decided to let me choose which one we keep preserved, and I could do this one."

"Why this one, Shortstack?" he grinned.

"I like pie."

Maya nodded once more at the painting, then turned on her heel, and headed back towards the designated meeting spot. Lucas shook his head, and smiled as he followed the small girl. Yah, she was really something.

* * *

"No!" Maya put the pillow over her head.

"Yes!" Riley yanked it off, and leaned over her friend.

"I don't wanna!" she complained, blinking in the sudden sunlight.

"We have school, Peaches." The brunette put her hands on her hips.

"Go without me."

"Can't do that," she smiled, and walked over to the curtains to open them, causing more light to blind Maya.

"Will you stop?!" She sat up, and glared at her.

"I had to come all the way over here to collect you! That never happens," Riley exclaimed. "And if we don't leave right now, we're going to be late."

"Fine," she grumbled, and pushed the covers off.

"Why are you wearing the same clothes?"

"I was too lazy to take them off before bed last night," Maya lied, stooping down to put on her shoes, and hiding her face.

"Oh, Peaches," Riley said, oblivious as always. "You can't keep doing that."

"Why not? It saves me time."

"Ugh, here's your bag and your breakfast." She handed them both to Maya with a groan. "You can eat on the way, lets go!"

"I'm going, I'm going," she protested, sluggishly following her friend out the window.

They made their way to the subway, and reached their train just in time, though almost getting smashed in the process.

"Well, I hope you're happy," Riley grumbled, as a large man almost knocked her off her feet.

"Not really." Maya ran a hand through her tangled hair.

She obviously hadn't had anytime to brush her hair that morning. Or put on makeup...oh, crap! Maya fished for the compact mirror in her school bag, and studied her reflection, as it bobbed with the subway train. She looked like a zombie, literally.

"You look fine, Peaches," Riley reassured. "Plus it's nice to see your face without all that junk on it anyway."

"Gee, thanks for the sympathy," Maya answered sarcastically, putting the mirror away.

She hadn't actually gotten any sleep last night, so she felt dead on her feet. They had spent too much time at the museum, and the rest of the group didn't care because most of them were out of high school anyway. Then, Lucas's car ran out of gas, so they had to trudge to the nearest station to fill up a canister, and then walk back to push it. But, it all still took time. And so, Maya had found herself clumsily crawling through her window just as the sun was rising, and collapsing onto her bed for like 10 minutes. Then, Riley had come, and here they were. It was going to be a very long, and very interesting day.

* * *

"Ms. Hart."

 _She was drowning in a field of flowers. Why flowers? Oh, wait_ _,_ _there was Riley right next to her...now it made sense._

"Ms. Hart!"

 _Her friend handed her a handmade daisy crown, and Maya placed it on her head; giggling. Why was she doing that? She didn't giggle._

"MS. HART!"

 _Whoever was talking needed to shut up; it was getting really annoying. Riley nodded in agreement and picked a yellow dandelion from the long grasses._

"You have detention!"

Maya snapped out of her daze to find the whole class staring at her, and the teacher shooting daggers from his eyes.

"You know, I don't really like detention, but thanks for the gift anyway..." Maya smiled sweetly at him, blinking the sleep away. "Now, is there a gift receipt somewhere?"

"You have some lip, young lady," Mr. Miller crossed his arms.

"Thanks, but I'm not into older guys," she winced.

"I said _lip_ , not _lips_ , and you have detention for two weeks now." His eyes were practically bugging out of his head.

"I would recommend not talking," Farkle advised and leaned forward in his seat.

"Gee, thanks." Maya snapped.

The bell rang, and everyone thundered out of the room, with the exception of Maya and her friends.

"Ugh." The small girl banged her head on the desk, and sighed heavily.

"It's your own fault for sleeping in class," Riley scolded.

"Yah, whatever." She waved her off.

Actually the desk was kind of comfy...Maya felt her eyes closing and her limbs start to go limp.

"Nu-uh." Lucas yanked her head up.

"Leave me alone, Ranger Rick," she said crossly.

"We have class to go to, and we're going to be late," he reminded.

"I don't care." she whined.

Riley looked at her best friend in disbelief. "Why are you being so difficult today?"

"Shut up." Maya picked up her bag, and rose out of her seat.

"Don't be mean," she said, sounding hurt.

"I wasn't being mean; I was telling you to be quiet in a crude manner."

"Hey, nice vocabulary word!" Zay spoke up cheerily. "I saw it on my mom's word a day calendar today actually."

"Is that like a mom thing?" Maya mumbled.

"I don't know. Does your mom have that—"

Lucas rolled his eyes, and shot him a look telling him to shut up. He did.

"Look, we've got to go, so I guess I hope to see you in class," Farkle said, glancing at the clock anxiously.

"See ya." Maya gave them a small wave, and a false smile.

Riley looked at her with disappointment and confusion, and left with Zay and Farkle. Lucas stayed behind, and tried to get Maya to go out the door. "Come on, Clutterbucket." He nudged her forward. "Time to go, now."

"I'm tired," Maya protested.

"So am I, but you don't see me complaining," Lucas said, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"That's because you're "Mr. Perfect"," She taunted.

"Don't pick fights, Penelope."

"Says the guy who just called me Penelope," the girl sneered.

He took a deep breath. "Listen, I understand you're tired. We both are. But, that doesn't mean we get to quit life, okay? We still have school, friends, and teachers...so, let's just get this day over and done with."

"You don't have to pretend to be calm, Sundance," Maya rolled her eyes. "No one's judging you."

"The only reason you're upset right now is because you're tired, and want to pick a fight. I'm not going to fight, so move on."

"Yah, but I really want to." She cracked her knuckles.

"Oh, so now you're going to physically fight me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, Huckleberry." Maya considered him. "It's definitely an appealing option."

"Except for the fact that—" The bell rang, and Lucas smirked. "—we have class to go to."

"Yah, I don't really care."

She lunged at him suddenly, but he caught her easily, and slung her over his shoulder. Maya protested loudly, and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but her captor was strong. Lucas walked calmly passed the baffled crowd of students by the door, and headed down the hallway.

"Deja vu, huh?" He grinned at the angry girl.

"Shut up!" she shrieked. "You can't contain me forever, Sundance."

"But, I can sure try."

"You're a pain in the butt," Maya grumbled.

"I know."

* * *

Maya didn't really know what she was doing there. After all, school was over and she was practically asleep on her feet. She could be at home sleeping, but something had drawn her to the room, and she had to follow her instinct. She wandered aimlessly across the floor, eventually reaching her usual seat, and sitting down on the hard, wooden stool. Maya let her bag drop to the floor, as she stared at the canvas in front of her.

Why couldn't she paint? She wanted to...she'd give anything to be able to draw a stick figure at this point, but she still couldn't. Letting her fingers meander over to a brush, she picked it up, and brought it to the blank white expanse. The color was green; Riley's new favorite color. Maya told herself to draw something, anything. A dot, a stripe, a square. She hesitantly touched the bristles to the canvas, and brought it back, almost expecting to see hope and promise. But, when she leaned back, all she saw was a blob.

Letting out a cry of frustration, she threw the paintbrush at the canvas, and watched with satisfaction as it left a good sized spot of green. But it wasn't enough. Maya grabbed the whole tin of paint and threw it on too. She had a thing with paint; she just couldn't keep her hands off of it, even when she was having a hard time using it productively. And so, she grabbed the blue. And the purple. Then some brushes.

"Why is it that you always end up in here?"

Maya didn't turn around; instead continuing her assault against the canvas.

"You know you're going to get in trouble, right? Because this is like the third time in the last couple of months that you've gotten in trouble in art alone."

She didn't respond.

"Maya!"

She sighed, and glared at the boy standing next to her easel.

"What do you want, Farkle?"

"I'm checking in on you," he explained.

"Great. I'm just great," she said, selecting a glistening bowl of pink.

"No, I don't think you are." Farkle carefully took the container out of her hands, and directed Maya away from the canvas.

She glared at him; her eyes dangerous and full of warning. He ignored them.

"Are you going to tell me why you're attacking a canvas?" Farkle smiled.

"It's mocking me," Maya muttered, realizing how Riley that sounded. "And it needs to be destroyed."

Farkle cocked his head. "That's not the first sign of an intelligent human being, you know?"

"And when have I ever been considered an intelligent human?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed. "I assume you're not going to talk to me about this."

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because it's none of your business," she said flatly.

"I'm your friend...that makes it my business."

"You sound like Riley."

"Who sounds like me?" The aforementioned girl skipped into the room.

Maya groaned, and banged her head on the table.

"I do," Farkle spoke up from his spot.

"Oh." She furrowed her eyebrows. "How come you're here?"

"I came to make sure Maya was okay," Farkle answered.

"Me too," Riley nodded.

"I'm fine!" Maya cried, waving her hands wildly. "How did you even know I was here?"

"We know you got detention, and then we figured you would find your way into the art room at some point today...so, lucky guess?" the brunette explained.

"Wonderful, so now that you've found me, what's your plan of action?" Maya asked.

"What plan of action?"

"Oh, come on, you're obviously here to say something to me, make me do something, or try to get me to talk about stuff. So, which is it?"

"Are we that predictable?" Riley whispered to Farkle.

He grimaced. "I guess so."

Maya contemplated the two friends, before shaking her head and returning to the 'masterpiece' she had created. Great; she had started painting again...yay.

"In any case," Riley stepped forward, "we were kind of hoping we could get you to paint."

"As you can see, I've already accomplished that." The smaller girl gestured to the canvas.

"That's not a painting, Peaches," she said softly.

"How would you know? All you can draw are stupid purple cats!" Maya spat suddenly.

Her friend drew back in surprise and hurt, while Farkle'e eyes widened.

"Don't say things you don't mean to. You're going to regret it later," he warned.

"Whatever. The way my life is going, that will be the least of my problems."

"Where did all this come from? You were just fine a minute ago."

"I was fine until you guys started butting into my life," she growled. "I don't need you to nag."

"We're not!" Riley protested.

Maya rolled her eyes.

"Okay, maybe a little!" she admitted sheepishly. "But it's only because we want to help you!"

"I. Don't. Need. Help!" the small girl shouted. "Just leave me alone! I'm done with this."

"I don't understand," the brunette said, wounded. "The last couple of weeks, you've been just fine...what's different now?"

"Oh, so now you think I've been fine." She laughed bitterly. "Right. Because you haven't bugged me about how much you hate my appearance, and how I'm not acting correctly. Well, guess what? I'm not going to deal with it anymore."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, worry replacing the hurt on her face.

Maya cocked her head, and pursed her lips tauntingly. Then, walking over to the table, picked up a can of paint and made her way to the big window.

"What are you doing, Maya?" Farkle asked, moving cautiously towards her.

Turning to her friends, she held up the paint can. "Getting suspended or even better expelled."

"Why?!" Riley cried.

"So, I don't have to deal with this anymore."

"Deal with us?"

"Congratulations, you _are_ a genius, Farkle," Maya smirked, and faced the window again.

"And you are definitely not." A new voice said suddenly.

The small girl refused to turn around, and instead hoisted the heavy can in her hands.

"Don't care, Huckleberry. I already knew that." She squinted her eyes, calculating the distance.

Lucas strode over to her, and snatched the paint away from her easily. Today was full of Deja vu.

"I'm not going to let you do that," he said calmly.

Maya turned around, and punched him in the arm, fury filling every inch of her skin.

"Leave me alone! I can make my own decisions!"

"Obviously not."

"Stop treating me like this!" Maya screamed.

"Like what?" Farkle asked.

"I don't know...Riley?" she scowled, pushing Lucas away from her. "I don't need to be protected."

The taller girl straightened and stared at her friend.

"You know what, Maya? You got your wish; I'm leaving."

As Riley ran out of the room on the verge of tears, Farkle gave one last concerned glance towards Maya, then followed the other girl. Lucas crossed his arms, and prevented Maya from leaving as well as she tried to stomp past him.

"Lucas...leave me alone," she fumed. "I don't need you...and I'm sorry I ever let you know about the stupid art museum in the first place."

"What the heck is going on with you?!" He threw up his hands. "I just saw you earlier."

"Nothing! Nothing happened."

"There's something you're not telling me," Lucas accused, grabbing her wrists.

"Let. Go." Maya warned through gritted teeth.

"No. Not until you tell me what's going on."

"I already told you! There's nothing going on, Ranger Rick."

"I'm not an idiot," he said, his anger rising.

Maya stared him down, and refused to speak a word. No way was she breathing a single word about anything to him.

"Stop hiding!" Lucas exclaimed.

"I'm not."

He scoffed, and shook his head in disbelief. "Okay, you know what? If I can't get you to talk; paint it for me."

Maya's breath caught in her throat. "What?"

"Look, everyone has an outlet...some people use writing or music. Yours is painting. And I know it will make you feel better," Lucas explained, trying to get rid of the anger inside, and speaking softly.

"I don't think it will," Maya said, crossing her arms.

"Just give it a try, Shortstack."

He guided her reluctant form to a stool, and placed brushes and paint in front of her. She looked on as he straightened everything, and stood up to glance at her.

"Go ahead."

Maya shook her head. "I don't want to."

"Just try," he coaxed.

For a split second she thought maybe this time would be different. That she would actually be able to paint, and Lucas had been right. Except he wasn't and he didn't even know about her painting problem, or whatever the heck you called it.

But in that moment, before she thought it through, hope clung in the air. Maya reached for a paintbrush, dipped it in black, and brought it to the canvas. She had almost touched the black to the white, and then reality hit her again; her arm dropping to her side.

Lucas furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Forget this, Sundance." Maya slammed the brush down.

"Don't give up...just paint whatever you feel."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't feel anything."

"Really? Anger?"

She shook her head.

"Disappointment? Annoyance? Sadness?" He listed them off, getting more concerned with each word.

Maya rested her eyes on a hole in the floor. "No...numbness."

Lucas considered the girl in front of him, hoping he wasn't about to make things worse. Looking around the room, he found what he was look for, and grabbed it.

"Green." He held up Riley's painting of a dog.

"No, Lucas." Maya gave him an undecipherable look, then turned on her heel, and strode out into the hallway.

He stood frozen in his spot. Maya was losing things, including her friends, and including herself. She was dying slowly, he could see it now, and he didn't know how to heal her. Lucas couldn't fix that, but he sure was going to try. And it was going to be one heck of a ride...in fact, it already was.

* * *

"She's different now." Riley wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"She's been different for awhile now," Farkle reminded.

"Yah, but now it's really bad." She looked down at her clasped hands. "And I hate that she's shutting us out when she needs us the most. Something is going on, and I really need to figure it out!"

"You can't do that by yourself; well, without Maya opening herself up."

"I know," Riley sighed. "But, it's serious. She won't paint, her appearance is completely different, and something is going on between her and Lucas. I hate that I don't know what's causing Maya to break, because I should know; I'm her best friend."

"Maybe she's not breaking; maybe she's just changing."

"Do those look like good changes, Farkle?" Riley turned to look at him with red rimmed eyes.

He shook his head. "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know."

* * *

Maya clung to the subway pole with white knuckles, biting her now raw lip. Oh, she knew she had messed up; big time. Why had she exploded? Maybe it was because they had pointed out her failure; her art. The one thing she had been good at had been taken away...just like everything else in her life. Just like her friends would be, so it was better to pull the plug right now, rather than deal with a hug heartbreak now. That's why she had blown up.

She pulled out her phone, hating herself for doing so, and flipped to the message. Maya just couldn't help herself.

 **X:** _If you're so great, why are you failing at everything, huh? You can't do anything right, especially when it comes to your friends. But, maybe it's a good thing...that way they won't have to deal with you once you push them away, and then they'll be a lot happier. So, do whatever you want, you'll get the same result anyway. A life of loneliness and failure. Good luck._

It shouldn't bother her; but it did. Because every single thing that person said was true; and she hated herself more for that. It was all her fault she was messing up, doing stupid things, pushing people away...

The DNA of Maya Penelope Hart; a failure, a leaver, and a coward.


	17. How You Handle It

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and please enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **This i**_ **s _a little_ _off topic_ , _but if_ _any_ _of you_ - _I'm guessing most-are Lucaya shippers,_ _you should definitely check out this fan video_! _It's_ "** ** _you love him don't you_** ** _"_** _ **by**_ ** _girl meets lucaya_** ** _. It really brings out all of the emotions! ;)_**

 ** _UPDATED: 12-31-16_**

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World; just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: How You Handle It

"How many times are we going to do this?" Zay groaned.

"As long as it takes," Farkle answered sternly.

"Don't you guys feel bad at all? You know for sneaking around behind her back?" Riley spoke up, dunking her straw in and out of her smoothie.

Lucas sighed. "Maybe a little, but it's for Maya and we're helping her."

"Yah, I guess..."

"So, let's get started." Farkle cleared his throat, and set his drink down on the table. "What happened last Thursday?"

"Maya exploded," Riley said, hurt lacing her voice. "A lot."

"We all know there's something she's not telling us," Lucas said. "And it's so frustrating. Once in a while she'll open up a little bit, and you think you've gained her trust, but then she pulls this kind of stuff."

"What do you mean? Did she tell you something?" The brunette asked, interest peaked.

He cleared his throat and took a sip of his smoothie. "No...I was just referring to past experiences."

"Come on, Lucas. It's obvious you're lying," Farkle spoke up, a little annoyed.

"I'm not lying."

Zay snorted. "Man, you're in denial."

"Can we please just move on? We're here to talk about Maya," he said.

"No! I need to know what's going on with her!" Riley exclaimed, visibly upset. "I'm tired of being in the dark! And you know what? If she talked to you first, fine, I'll get over it. But, I think I deserve to know what her problem is, don't you?"

"Some things aren't meant to be shared, Riley," Lucas answered slowly.

"And some things are!" she insisted.

"Yes, and maybe this is one of them...just not yet."

The girl stood up and slammed her smoothie down, much like a couple of nights ago. She started to walk out, but Farkle grabbed her arm before she could get very far.

"What are you doing?" he asked, forcing her to sit back down.

"I told you guys I'm tired of being protected all the time. So, if that's how you're going to treat me, I'm leaving."

"That's sounds like something Maya would say," Zay commented from his chair.

"Yah, well she's been a huge influence in my life."

"Look, Riley. It's not that I don't want to tell you. But, it's Maya who told me and I have to honor that," Lucas leaned forward.

"Ha, so you admit that she told you something!" the girl said triumphantly.

"Ugh, fine. Yes, she told me something," he groaned, immediately regretting it.

"Seriously?!" Riley exclaimed.

"I thought you were fine with it," Zay reminded, a smirk plastered on his face.

She answered with her dramatic flair. "Yah, well I didn't think she'd actually do that! I'm her best friend, and I should know everything about her!"

"Um, can I remind you that _you_ said we shouldn't know every detail of their lives?" Farkle spoke up tentatively.

"Their?" Lucas asked.

"Uh—sorry, just thinking out loud," the boy attempted to smooth over.

"Moving on..." Riley changed the subject. "Yes, I said that. And I guess I think it's true: we shouldn't be involved completely in her life. I may want to, but I can't and won't."

"Good." Farkle nodded. "I know it's hard, and I want to help her too, but we have to be patient and understanding. Which leads back to how we're going to fix Maya. Honestly, we've had this conversation so many times, I feel like we're just going to repeat ourselves."

Riley slumped back into the couch. "Yah, but nothing's changing."

"I actually have no idea what to say," Farkle admitted reluctantly. "We've already decided to try to build her up and all that other stuff. So, what _do_ we do now?"

"Look," Zay rested his arms on his knees. "The deal is this, Maya exploded. What do we do? Nothing. We continue to try to make it better, but we don't address it. At least not yet."

"Why can't we at least talk about it?" the girl asked.

"Because where do you think that's going to get you?" he pointed out. "Yah, that's right: nowhere. She's not going to open herself up. Yes, obviously something else is going on, maybe more than one thing. But, that's just going to make her more defensive, so I have one suggestion."

"Which is?" Farkle inquired, a little peeved that Zay suddenly seemed to be so insightful.

The dark skinned boy sighed and shrugged. "We creep in, slowly. We're her friends and we just need to reassure her that she can trust us. But, like we've said, it's going to take time."

"Isn't that what we've been doing?" Lucas said.

His friend looked at him. "Maybe. But, are we doing it the right way?"

"What's the right way?" Farkle asked.

"Well, we've been doing this logically...maybe we should try emotionally," Zay suggested.

"Maya thrives on feelings," Riley said, mostly to herself.

"So, good idea?" the boy grinned.

"Yes, Zay." Lucas gave him a small smile.

"Yes! I've gained my points back!"

"How'd you lose them?" the brunette asked.

He scowled. "I lost them the day I set foot in a ballet class."

"And just like that, it's back to Zay." Farkle shook his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"Baby girl, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Maya looked up from the depths of her chamomile tea, a surprised look on her face.

"Yah, of course I do."

"Are you sure?" she persisted, leaning on the counter.

"Where's this coming from, mom?" her daughter raised an eyebrow.

Ms. Hart sighed, and laced her fingers around her warm mug, drumming them on the porcelain.

"Sweetie, I love you to death, but what's going on with you?"

"Not you too," Maya groaned, rolling her eyes.

"You're just not acting like yourself, and I'm concerned," Ms. Hart continued. "And I have every right to be. After all I am your mother."

Her daughter mumbled something, and took a sip of the piping hot tea. She didn't care that it burned her tongue, it just felt good to have the sensation.

"I'm just changing a bit, mom. Nothing wrong with that."

"I know, honey," she answered, sighing. "But, these don't seem like good changes."

"You can't just tell me that!" Maya's eyes were full of fire.

"I just want to help you."

"I don't need help! Why does everyone assume that?"

"Because everyone needs help!" Ms. Hart pointed out. "You need to stop being so prideful and stubborn. If you did, you'd realize how many things you can get through easily."

"I can deal with trouble just fine," Maya answered.

"I know," she said sadly. "But, there's nothing wrong with asking for help. Or just needing it, for heaven's sake."

"But, at least I have my dignity," Maya blurted out thoughtlessly.

Her mother grew quiet.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's not your fault your father left," Ms. Hart said, her gaze on her pale hands.

"No, but at least I have you. You didn't leave," she consoled.

"Oh, that reminds me." Her mother obviously wanted to change the subject. "I'm going to Maine this weekend. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but it was kind of last minute."

"You're leaving," the small girl said flatly.

"I'm just taking a little vacation," she said reassuringly.

"You're leaving," Maya repeated.

"Stop. Now." Ms. Hart warned. "I'm only going for a week. There's a great acting audition there, and I'll get the chance to visit your aunt Rose."

"Well, then can I go with you?" Her voice now calm.

"You have school."

"So?"

"No debate. I'm going to leave you at the Matthews', so you're not home alone," her mother added. "And they've already said it's fine, so it's all set."

Maya's mouth felt dry, and she swallowed thickly. "Can't I just stay home? I'd really prefer that option."

"I'm not leaving you home alone," she snorted.

"Why not? You're only going for a week."

"Yes, I'm going to leave my teenaged daughter home alone for a week," Ms. Hart said sarcastically. "Great idea."

"Glad we're agreed." Maya slid off of her seat, and headed for her room.

"Get back here, missy."

She did.

"It's only for a week, and besides you're with your best friend. It can't get much better, right?"

"Right."

"Good. I love you baby girl, you know that?"

"Of course I do." Maya glanced up at her then back at the worn wood of the table.

But, sometimes it sure didn't seem like it.

* * *

Maya played with the silver ring on her finger, twisting it around and around. She had gotten it from Riley for her birthday last year, and even when they fought she kept it on. Maya could remember the day it was given to her. Her mother had seemingly forgotten her birthday, and Riley had spent all day trying to fix it. It turned out she was just trying to buy her a locket, but the hurt and disappointment was still a fixed feeling in her heart. Now, the feeling seemed to return. No, it wasn't like her mother was necessarily leaving her, but it almost was. And sometimes that was enough. It explained her own nature though: everyone in her family seemed to leave, so it only seemed fitting for her to follow suit. Someday she would, and as she was on her journey there wouldn't be any regret. Only numbness. If she had to give that feeling a color it would have to be black. There were those times where she stood in a dark hallway, or in a small, space and she couldn't see a thing. And in those moments, when it felt like she didn't have any senses, Maya felt numb. Because without feeling, sight, sound, taste, and the like, you couldn't experience anything. And once she'd left, Maya would realize that she had just lost all of that...and it would all be her own fault. Because what she'd leave behind were her senses. It hadn't happened yet, but she knew that eventually she'd leave. It was inevitable really.

"You look lost."

Maya slowly directed her mind back to reality. It brought her the vision of a tall boy standing in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean by that?"

He sat down on the stool next to her. "You look like you're not seeing anything else but what's in your own mind."

"Yah, well I do that a lot." She shrugged, running her hand over the ripped leather of her seat.

"Artist thing, huh?"

Her smile dropped. "Sure."

He cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly sensing the tension. "Um, well just out of curiosity what are you doing here? It's on the opposite side of town from where you live."

"I don't know." Maya lifted her head, and glanced at the room. "I just like it. I've been coming here for awhile now...something about it is calming I guess."

"Yah, it's nice. I like the pictures."

She nodded in agreement. "I like to look at them a lot even though I've already seen them a million times. Sometimes I wonder why the people in them are there, or why they're even doing what they're doing...why is he holding a fish? Why is she smiling so secretively? I don't know...it's just nice to have someone else's mystery to deal with."

"I get that," he smiled.

"So, what are you doing here, Josh?" Maya asked after a moment of silence.

"Same as you I guess. I just needed to get away."

"Why do you think I'm here to get away?" she questioned with suspicion.

"Oh, come on." He raised an eyebrow. "I may not go to college, but I'm not dumb."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We'll just leave it that, okay?"

"Fine."

Maya went back to her coffee, and Josh continued to stare at a photo of an old couple in the mountains. Admittedly, it was a comfortable silence, but it had to end just like everything else good. It died when Josh turned his attention to the blonde next to him, and noticed her half-full cup.

"Aren't you too young to drink that?" he asked.

She reluctantly came back from her thoughts. "No, and I need it."

"You _need_ it."

"Yes."

"Taste or caffeine?" He prodded curiously.

She pondered the question. "Both, I guess. I like the bitterness of it...it makes sense. And trust me I need the caffeine...it's a necessity."

"You're too young to have to worry about that," Josh sighed, folding his hands, and resting his elbows on the counter.

"Life doesn't really factor age into its decisions," Maya said.

It was then that he noticed the bags under her eyes, and the makeup trying to conceal them. She really did look tired, and he wondered how much sleep she was actually getting. Josh only knew what he could detect and small bits and pieces of what he'd heard, but Maya was obviously dealing with stuff that no adult should have to shoulder all at once. How she dealt with the pressure, and didn't break, he had no idea.

"You know," she spoke up, taking a long drink of coffee. "I don't know if life factors bad ideas into its decisions, but I say we go for it."

"What are you thinking, Maya?" Josh asked suspiciously.

"I want to go do something." She smiled, zipping up her backpack, which he hadn't noticed until now.

"Like what?"

"I don't care," the small girl shrugged. "Anything. As long as it's a bad decision."

He considered her, and made his own stupid choice. "Okay, lets see what we can find."

Maya grinned, and slung her bag over her shoulder. They got up in unison, and headed for the door, neither really sure where they were going.

* * *

"This is all you could come up with?" The smile on her face making it hard to think her question was sincere.

"Eh, I had short notice. Plus, I doubt you've ever done it." He looked at her for confirmation.

"Okay, but I still don't understand this." Maya shook her head.

They headed into the store, lazily making their way to the produce aisle. Picking up an apple, and tossing it in the air, Maya turned to Josh.

"Now, please enlighten me on how this is going to funny?" she asked.

He grabbed the fruit from her hand, and took a contemplative bite.

"You said you wanted to do something. Sure, maybe this isn't huge, but it creates chaos."

"Why not huge?"

"Tell you what, maybe we can work our way up from here," Josh winked. "But, let's see what you got first."

"Ugh, fine. It's still lame though," Maya complained.

She proceeded to grab a basket, and fill it to the brim with fruit. Josh did the same, and once it was full, they started down another aisle.

"Now, you may begin," he announced, flicking out a sharpie with a flourish.

She shook her head, and began to draw on an orange, more scribbling than drawing though. The boy finished first, and placed a banana with a sharpie mustache in between two cereal boxes. It looked like said fruit was stalking you, and judging you for your breakfast choices.

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Again, lame."

"I disagree," Josh smirked.

"Yah, well I probably have more detentions under my belt than you," she challenged. "Even if you lied about going to college, and like to destroy things."

"First, I never said I didn't go to college. I did, it just wasn't for very long. Second, that may be true, but that doesn't mean I haven't wrestled with trouble a couple of times."

"That has to be a Matthews' thing." Maya sighed, finishing her orange drawing.

"What?"

"Weird analogies and comparisons." She placed the fruit in a basket of potatoes.

Josh ignored her comment, and gazed at her scribbles. "That's nice."

She smirked. Maya had decided to write something this time, which happened to be " _Look behind you_ ". The bright color stuck out from the dull brown of the vegetables, and it would be clear as day to anyone passing by.

"A little fun?" Josh questioned, noting her amused expression.

She picked up her basket, and headed towards a tray of bread. "Maybe. But, this isn't over yet. I'm doing some other stuff, too."

"Like what?" he asked suspiciously.

"You'll see."

They ended up placing tattooed fruit across the whole store, and then decided to continue their "prank". Maya began by switching all the labels and prices on everything, and Josh practically rearranged the store by color. So, in the end she enjoyed it even if she didn't admit it.

Once they had finished, they crept out of the store trying not to laugh too hard. They lost control at the corner, and burst out laughing, getting odd stares from passerby.

"Okay, now I know you had fun," Josh chuckled.

"I'm not saying I did," Maya grinned. "But, next time let's do something else."

"Hey, I told you we could do something bigger."

"Sounds like a plan." She shook his hand. "And as leader you get to buy me coffee."

"How does that even work?"

"It just does."

Josh sighed. "You had some earlier."

Maya cocked her head. "That's wonderful, you have a great memory. Okay, let's go now."

He complied reluctantly, and let her drag him across the street and to wherever she wanted to go. Josh wasn't sure about the whole pranking thing they were doing together, but he did know that he needed to protect Maya Hart. It was an obligation, and he didn't mind. And if he could help her have a little fun along the way, why not?


	18. Talking Doesn't Always Work

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited! Please don't forget to REVIEW-you don't know how much writers thrive on feedback! ;) (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 12-31-16**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Talking Doesn't Always Work

Riley stood in front of her father, arms crossed, and legs planted firmly. He looked up from his tater tots with a questioning look.

"Yes?"

"Mom said I had to talk to you," she explained. "She said it was your turn, or something weird like that."

"Rats." Mr. Matthews took a bite of potato, which made him a little happier. "What about?"

"Well, about Maya."

"It's always about her," he smiled, and patted the spot next to him. "So, what is it this time?"

Riley fiddled with her friendship ring, and debated on how much to tell him. She wanted to help Maya, and her friends had agreed to give it time, but she thought that maybe having an adult helping would make it go faster. So, she had approached her mother first hoping she would be able to advise, but obviously she wasn't in the mood for it today. Which was fine, but now here she was and she was just hoping her father wouldn't overreact like he tended to do often.

"Maya's going through some stuff right now...and I'm not exactly sure how to help her."

"You can't fix everything Riley. Sometimes people just need to learn and grow on their own."

"I know that," she sighed, and sat down next to him.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

"Because I'm afraid," his daughter admitted. "She's scaring me. I see it. She's breaking slowly, and I can't fix it...how do you fix it?"

"Oh, Riley." Mr. Matthews put down his fork, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Dad, she's changing so fast, and it's like every time I see her she's different."

He looked at her solemnly. "I know it's hard. It's hard for me too. I have to watch her make her decisions just as much as you do. But, here's the thing, sweetheart. You can't make the choices for her, and you can't force things on her. Only she can do that."

"Then what can I do? I'm her best friend, and I want to do whatever I can to help her." She was on the verge of tears. "I feel like I'm losing her."

"You're not losing her. And what you can do is be there for her. Be the person she can open up to, be the strong ground she needs to walk on, be the love she wants. Riley, that's all that Maya really wants. I don't know what she's going through, or what's going on in her life, but as long as she has support she'll be just fine."

"You can't guarantee that," she sniffed. "I know that's not optimistic, but I've lost my way in the candy cane forest and I can't get out."

He laughed lightly. "Yah, well we can get you out. And nothing in life is a guarantee, that's true. But, it's also what makes it so exciting, there are lots of twists and turns in your story."

"I don't want bad twists and turns."

"I'm not saying that's what's in store for you, honey. I'm just letting you know that even though the sky looks dark, there may be light just behind the clouds. You just can't see it yet," he said softly.

Riley pondered that for awhile, and snuck a tater tot off of her father's plate. He pouted, and slid it away from her with a glare fixed on his face.

"I believe that, I really do," she chewed on the food. "But, are you saying that there's nothing I can do to speed it along?"

"No, of course not."

"Then, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying don't lose faith. When the time comes you'll know what to do...and like I said, just be there for her, Riley. That's your job as her friend. And do what your heart tells you, honestly. If you feel like you need to talk to her about something, do it, because it might just turn out perfectly."

She sighed. "Okay."

Mr. Matthews plucked his potato from the plate, and popped it into his mouth.

"You know, it's almost hard to be upset when you have a tot in your mouth," he grinned.

Riley looked at her father with a small smile. "Mind sharing that love?"

"You already got one." He narrowed his eyes.

She popped out her bottom lip, and gave him the big, brown doe eyes he always fell for. This time was no exception.

"Can I ask you a question?" he said, handing her the food.

"Sure, daddy."

"Do _you_ know what's going on with Maya?"

She sighed, and twirled a lock of chocolate brown hair around her finger. "Not all of it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked cautiously.

"I thought you just said—"

"No, what I said was do what your heart tells you. And my heart is telling me it wants to know, so spill sister."

Riley pursed her lips. "Can't do that."

"Why not?"

She hit him with a napkin. "You know why. She's my best friend, and I don't blab about what she tells me."

"But—"

Just then, the front door opened to reveal an annoyed Maya, and her stressed mother. The older blonde walked briskly through, shaking off some snow on her shoulders.

"Hi, Cory. I'm really sorry to just barge in here, but I'm late for my flight and I really can't miss it."

"It's okay, Katy." He gestured for Maya to come in, and she reluctantly trudged in. "Nobody really knocks anyway."

She gave him a hurried smile, then turned to her daughter, giving her a one-sided hug.

"Okay, please be good Baby girl." Ms. Hart pulled apart to look her straight in the face. "I love you, and I'm sorry you don't like this, but I promise it's only for a week."

Maya stared back evenly. "Don't make promises, mom."

She straightened, a wounded expression on her face. "And when we get back home, we're discussing what's going on with you. You and I should be just fine; we were just last month."

"Things change."

"You've changed." Her mother tried for a small smile, then walked back to the open door. "I love you, Maya. I will see you soon. Thank you Cory! I appreciate it!"

"Of course, Maya's always welcome here. Have a safe flight!" he called to her retreating form.

After she left an awkward silence settled in. Mr. Matthews glanced between the two girls, his daughter not looking at her friend at all, and Maya slumped against a wall.

"Oh, this is nice." He raised an alarming brow. "Are you guys fighting? You didn't tell me that, Riley."

She swallowed thickly. "We're not fighting."

"Oh, really?" Maya scoffed from her spot. "What do you call an argument then, Sunshine?"

Riley finally met her gaze, hurt evident in her misty eyes. Maya almost felt guilt...almost.

"Can't we just apologize, Peaches? I hate this. Yes, you hurt my feelings, but I'm willing to talk about it. Because you're my best friend."

The blue haired girl tried to maintain her mask of nonchalance, but her gaze softened a bit anyway.

"Fine. Bay window." She turned without a second glance, and headed for Riley's room.

The brunette gave her father a hug, which he returned with one last message.

"Listen to your heart. Don't try to force things. I know it will be hard, but you can do it if you care enough about it."

"I do."

"Then it should be just fine."

* * *

Maya loved this spot, it was the safest place in the world. Right now it was snowing outside, and it created a magical effect as it fell. The shadows filtered through the glass, and created black snowflakes on the walls and floor. Black. Everything was black, really. Even white: it was just hiding behind its own mask of brightness. Masks. They were everywhere too...some people had bigger ones than others, but they were there.

Riley interrupted her musings by slipping into her room, and shutting the door quietly. Crossing over to the bay window, she sat down, and rested her head on the glass.

"I love the snow," she commented softly, tracing a shadow as it fell.

"Yah, me too." Maya didn't look outside though.

"Why?"

She blinked. "Why? I don't know, lots of reasons...Riley, don't beat around the bush."

"Just answer the question."

"No. You're right, we need to talk," Maya insisted, a little irritated.

"I want to talk about snow," Riley said stubbornly.

"And I don't. You opened up to me, and I agreed, so let's fix this whole argument thing."

"You think it can be solved that easily?" The brunette furrowed her brow. "You just think all these feelings are just going to go away?"

"How come you say one thing, and then turn around and tell me the complete opposite?" Maya fumed, crossing her arms. "Out there, you were all like " _I'm willing to talk! You're my best friend!_ " Yah, well how come you won't talk in here, huh?"

"I'm talking," Riley protested. "Just not about our...thing."

"Why can't you admit that it was an argument?" she cried in exasperation.

"Because it wasn't!"

Maya laughed bitterly. "Then please, tell me. What was it?"

"It was you not admitting that you're hiding something." Riley threw thought to the wind. It was just so easy to get caught up in the emotions. But, then wasn't she technically listening to her heart? At least a little?

"Oh, really? I thought it was you nagging on me, and telling me I suck."

"What? I never said that!" The two girls were practically yelling at this point.

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Yah, right."

"If it was anyone, it was you! You're the one that basically insulted me to my face!"

Mrs. Matthews opened the door suddenly, an alarmed look on her face. She glanced from girl to girl, confused as to why they were yelling. They never did, even when it was a really bad argument.

"Is this what happens when I decide to take one day off?" she grimaced, and made her way to the bay window.

"Mom, I don't mind if you take a day off." Riley scooted over for her to sit. "And you still can...Maya and I can handle this by ourselves."

"Oh, yes. That's real evident," she answered sarcastically.

"We're just talking."

"Really loudly."

Maya spoke up. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Matthews. We'll be quieter."

"How can you promise that, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Well, to clarify _I_ don't make promises," she answered, standing up. "And I can say that we'll be quieter because I'm leaving."

"What do you mean you're leaving?!" Riley exclaimed.

"Calm down, Riles." Maya couldn't stop the small bite in her words. "I'm only going to take a walk."

"Honey, it's snowing." Mrs. Matthews reminded, putting a hand on her arm.

"I've lived in New York my whole life...a little snow doesn't bother me." She re-buttoned her plaid coat, and pulled on her gloves and hat.

"It's got to be freezing out there, and besides you can't just walk away from a conversation," the older woman pointed out.

Maya straightened, and said boldly: "Watch me."

She strode out into the living room, grabbed her phone from her bag, and opened the door. The two Matthews' women ran in after her, rushing to her side.

"You stop what you're doing right now, Maya," Mrs. Matthews demanded.

She turned. "You don't have to pretend to be worried about me."

"We're not pretending!" Riley spoke up with concern.

Maya didn't answer that time. She continued her march down the hallway, out the lobby, and into the chilly air of New York.

* * *

It was dark now, and she figured they would be freaking out. Or maybe not. Who knew anymore? But, all she knew right now was the numbness from the biting wind, and the sharp pain in her left foot. It was only 33 degrees: not a freezing temperature for her, but definitely a cold one. She was sure glad she had her hat, gloves, and coat on...no skirt or tank top to be found either. As to her foot, she had tripped over a small log, and landed funny on her ankle. She knew it wasn't broken or sprained, but it still hurt like heck.

Maya rubbed her probably red nose, and checked her phone again. Yup, over a hundred missed calls...and those were just the ones just from Riley.  
And then were some texts from various people...Lucas, Farkle, Zay, Riley, Mrs. Matthews, Mr. Matthews. The only one she really cared about though was the one from that mystery texter. It was really weird, actually. A couple months ago she would have laughed the messages off, but now they hurt. What had changed?

 **X** : _Don't believe them; they're all lying to you...they don't care about you, and they're only pretending because they have to. You're such a burden to everyone, so how could they want you around?_

She pocketed the phone, and nestled deeper into her coat. Snow was kind of rare in early December, but that didn't mean it wasn't a possibility...and this year had been especially cold. So, the white snowflakes fell steadily around her, creating layers of ice and powder on every surface. Maya really did like the snow...it was beautiful, and she has tried to paint it so many times, but she could never do it justice.  
She couldn't do justice to a lot of things lately. Just another part of her failure to do anything useful. And yes, she believed the text. It was way too accurate, so how could she deny the truth?  
Her phone buzzed, and she reluctantly pulled it out again.

 **Lucas** : _You answer right now, Maya! Where are you? You've been gone for almost 5 hours!_

Was it that late already?

 **Lucas** : _We're looking for you right now, so please just tell us where you are!_

Not a chance. She needed a break from him and the rest of her so called friends. Her phone vibrated again, and Maya let out a groan of annoyance.

 **Riley** : _Peaches! I'm so sorry, please, please, please answer! I didn't mean what I said! Okay, I did, but I want to fix things between us...where are you?_

Maya decided to turn her phone off at that point. All the messages just made her feel worse, and she really didn't need that right now.  
She directed her attention to a lone tree. Well, it was surrounded by its kind, but it was the only one with leaves left at all. Maya felt like that tree, alone, covered in her mask, hiding from the world. How did she break away from all of this? She didn't want to be broken anymore, but she supposed it was the way life worked-especially for her. So, where do you go when you feel lost? She didn't know where home was, or where to find her safe places...Maya Hart was a wandering soul, lost in the crowd and easy to forget. And maybe it was better for everyone that way.

* * *

The bright sunlight made her squint as she groaned and sat up. Her whole body ached from sleeping on a bench, and her brain was still a little fuzzy from waking up. Looking around sleepily she turned on her phone, and narrowed her eyes at the time.

Maya mumbled some choice words under her breath, and shivering, slumped back on the bench. Crap, was she in trouble. It was 9:26 in the morning, and she had slept outside all night long. Some people were giving her strange looks, but it wasn't very many. After all it was New York.

She sighed, and stood up stiffly, walking away from the bench. Maya debated what to do next. She could go back, or she could go somewhere else, or she could just wander around a bit longer. It wasn't like they cared that much, anyway. So, actually some coffee sounded wonderful right now.

Maya robotically headed to the first cafe she could find, and entered the warm shop with relief. The smell of coffee beans and the hot temperature was comforting, and she felt strangely at peace. That didn't happen very often, so she tried to relish whatever scrap she could get of it. She ordered her drink, and found a secluded booth by one of their windows, already sipping on the coffee. Unfortunately for her it didn't stay that way for long.

Surprisingly, a tall girl stalked over to her, and plunked herself down in the seat across from her.

Smirking, the girl gulped her own drink, then nudged Maya to get her attention.

"Hey, Hart. Never seen you here before."

She reluctantly turned to the girl facing her. "Probably because I've never been here before."

"No? Well, what do you think?"

"It's good. It's also coffee, and coffee is coffee."

"Not true." Jazz shook her head. "I have tasted some bad coffee, and trust me you'd know the difference after that."

"Eh', well I don't really care right now," she shrugged, and swallowed the dark liquid.

Jazz smiled, and tapped her fingernails on the table. "So, how's life treating you?"

"You know I just saw you like last week, right? And you don't have to pretend around me...no one else is here."

"Pretend what?"

"Cut the crap, please. I'm really not in the mood," Maya snapped.

"Well, _I'm_ in a good mood, so let's try to be civil, okay?" Jazz said tauntingly, her face triumphant.

"I don't want to be. So, here's a thought, I'll just leave."

Maya finished her coffee, burst out the door, and headed onto the sidewalk. Much to her dismay Jazz trailed behind her, running to catch up.

"Hey, we're cousins. We should hang out outside of work, right? Right." She playfully shoved her. "What do you wanna do?"

"Walk alone."

She laughed. "Okay. Where you walking to?"

Maya slowed her pace.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Well, I wouldn't suggest anywhere near the police station," Jazz chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"They're on the lookout for you, you know. Technically it hasn't been 24 hours, so they're not searching for you per se, but they can still keep an eye out."

"That's wonderful," the smaller girl muttered. "How do you know about that?"

"I hear things."

"Great, well now I kind of have to go home."

Jazz shrugged. "Not necessarily...either way you're going to have to go back eventually, and get the lecture of your life. So, why not delay it why you can? I'm pretty sure you'll be grounded for a little while, if not the rest of your life."

Maya considered her proposal. "That's true...do you have something in mind?"

"Kind of," Jazz grinned.

"Okay, I'm willing to hang out with you, but two things. One, it's purely selfish, and otherwise I would have nothing to do with you. And two, let's not make this activity dangerous or stupid, because I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Have some faith, Hart." Her cousin directed her attention to making sure she didn't bump into anyone. "I was just thinking we could go to the movies or something."

"Seriously?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yah, why not? I don't have anything else to do, and they got that great new action movie out."

"Okay," Maya conceded. "But, I'm not buying you any popcorn."

"Nah, I'll pay...I'm nice that way."

"Really? That's the first I'm hearing about it," she snorted jokingly.

But her statement had more truth in it than teasing.

* * *

It was dark again, and Maya was considering her options...she could go back to the Matthews, or she could stay out of their way for another day. They probably appreciated not having to deal with all the extra baggage that came with her, so why not hide for another day or two? Or three? At this point, Maya wasn't even sure she ever wanted to return to her life.

But her decision was made for her when she carelessly stepped into the path of a police officer. He gazed down at her with slight irritation then contemplation, which turned into recognition.

"Hey, you that Hart girl?" he asked gruffly.

"No."

The cop raised an eyebrow and reached for his information. Looking back and forth between two, he squinted once more at Maya, and then nodded. Concluding that he had been right, he grabbed her wrist and forced her to move back to his car. Maya didn't even try to struggle—much—because she knew that in the end she wouldn't be the one winning. Not at this, and certainly not at life.

The door closed, and she stared blankly ahead, trying not to look weak. Because even if she lost life's little game, she was going down fighting-and with every inch of dignity she could muster.


	19. Twists and Turns

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! It means a lot to have all of this support! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **And if any of you are interested, I recently published a Girl Meets World one-shot and it'd be awesome if you'd go check it out! Thanks! ;)**_

 _ **UPDATED: 1-4-17**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Twists and Turns

Riley had moved out of the crying stage. She was now sitting on the couch, staring blankly at her beige wall...what stage was that? The loneliness, fear, and anxiety stage? It didn't matter, because she knew that whatever it was it was all her fault. She had chased Maya away and been a terrible friend in general.

Mrs. Matthews entered the room with a candle and a lighter, and spotted her slumped daughter easily. Her mother sighed and sat next to her, pulling her close.

"Hey, honey. How you doing?"

"Where is she, mom?" Riley's focus was nowhere but Maya.

"I don't know," Mrs. Matthews stroked her hair comfortingly.

"This is all my fault."

"It's no one's fault, Riley."

She glanced from her mother's eyes, to the candle in her hands. "Why is there a candle? Will it help Maya?"

The older woman smiled. "No, but it might help us a little bit. It's cinnamon."

Riley took the lighter from her hands and proceeded to light the candle. Whenever they had a tough situation going on, they always lit this scent because it was so calming. It brought back happy memories of Christmases, family game nights, and dinners. And sometimes it did help, but Riley doubted it would ease the worry much, if at all. Because this time, the concern had something to do with Maya and when that happened nothing else mattered.

They nestled back into the couch and each other, watching the little flame dance around. It was mesmerizing and if there hadn't been a dark cloud looming over everything, the whole scene would've been perfectly picturesque. It was softly snowing outside, the lights were low, everything was cozy and warm, and the candle added the beautiful quality to the landscape. A wonderful, happy December evening...except it wasn't. And it wouldn't be until Maya was back.

Ms. Hart came into the scene with a cup of tea and red rimmed eyes. Crossing over to the couch, she joined the two women and snuggled into a pillow. The Matthews' didn't say anything and neither did the new arrival. There was nothing to say. So, the silence was filled by the occasional rustlings of the girls and the slow ticking of the clock. The clock itself was almost like a deadly countdown to some horrible event that awaited them. The only question was how long.

The answer? Not long. A knock came from the door and all three perked up their heads, although only Mrs. Matthews got up to answer it. And in that moment there was hope. Maya may not have discovered hers yet, but they sure had and they clung to it with all their might.

She opened the door to reveal a young police officer with a tired, reluctant Maya in tow. They were quickly ushered inside, but no one dared make the first sound or move. Except for the cop, who was obligated to do so.

"I found her on the corner of Mill and 45th, down by that public park. She put up a fight, but I got her here," he spoke up, nudging said girl forward. "As long as there aren't any questions, I'll just leave you folks to it."

"Thank you, officer," Mrs. Matthews acknowledged, her concerned eyes on Maya.

"My pleasure." He nodded to all the women, then walked back out the door, closing it gently behind him. He really wanted to wish that girl good luck, but it wasn't really allowed.

"Peaches," Riley said softly, getting up slowly.

She stared blankly at each person in turn, her gaze resting on her mother.

"I thought you were in Maine."

"I came back as soon as I heard you were missing, Baby girl," she said softly.

"You didn't have to. I was perfectly fine." Maya crossed her arms.

"Of course I did! You're my daughter!" Ms. Hart exclaimed. "And if you're going to get angry at me, well I have every right to return the favor! For heaven's sake Maya, what were you thinking? You scared everyone so much. Where were you?"

"Just taking a walk."

"You were gone for over 24 hours!"

Just then another figure appeared in the doorway of the living room, excitement on its face.

"Is she back?!" Auggie's little voice shrieked as he ran to Maya.

Her face softened and she picked him up, a cute sight as she was so short.

"Miss me?"

"No." Auggie suddenly remembered he wasn't supposed to care. He was a _boy_ , after all.

"Aw, well I missed you." Maya set him down. "You're the only one who cares, huh?"

"Maya!" Riley exclaimed.

"Honey, why don't you sit down, okay?" Mrs. Matthews put her hands on her shoulders and guided her to a seat between Riley and her mother.

"Maya, of course we care." Her best friend turned to her. "How could you think we don't?"

"Okay, Riley. One thing at a time...we need to start from the beginning first." Mrs. Matthews looked at her honorary daughter. "Sweetie, why did you leave, and where did you go?"

Maya knew there was no getting out of this conversation, no matter how hard she resisted. So, why try to lie and be completely stubborn about it?

"I went to the park, and accidentally fell asleep...then I woke up, and just hung around the city for a little while," she answered, crossing her arms. "That's it."

"So, you fell asleep, and when you woke up you didn't head home?!" Ms. Hart cried.

"No," she shrugged.

"Didn't you think everyone would be worried about you?"

"I don't know."

"How could you not—" Riley started.

"Honey," her mother reminded gently.

The brunette let out a sigh of frustration, but conceded. All she wanted to do was help Maya and fix the annoying tension that lay between them. They were always able to repair any damage made and this rift had seemed to last forever...and so had the damage. When was she going to get the chance to sit her best friend in the window and solve all the puzzles they had created?

"...and I had to come all the way home!" Ms. Hart broke into her inner turmoil.

"Oh, well I'm so sorry I'm such a burden to you!" Maya snapped.

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Really? Cause' that's exactly what it sounded like to me."

"Why are you being so difficult?" her mother groaned in exasperation.

"I apologize for the inconvenience." Maya gave a mock bow from her seat. "But, it will go a lot faster if you just give me my punishment and we move on. So, let's hear it."

Her mother shook her head. "I can't believe you right now. You're being so selfish: I was worried sick about you! I came back to make sure you were okay, to look for you if necessary! Why are you doing this Maya? And if you can't answer that, can you at least answer the questions we already gave you? Why did you leave?"

Maya considered her and answered as vaguely as possible. "I guess because I was done dealing with Ms. Candy Cane over here."

Riley's face fell and she twisted her hands together tightly. A curtain of brown hair fell in front of her face and she didn't brush it away, instead letting it obscure her hurt expression. She had to keep telling herself that she could fix it, that it would be okay in the end...she shouldn't worry. Maya didn't mean a thing she was saying, she was just upset. So, Riley let it go—for now.

"What happened right before you left?" Ms. Hart asked curiously.

"Mom, can we please not do this right now? I'm really tired," she said slowly and cautiously.

Her mother observed her worn and pale face, and her instincts kicked in.

"Okay, but you know this isn't over, right?"

"Yah, I get it." Maya replied, rubbing her forehead.

"Well, I guess I'll just take her home then." Ms. Hart said to the Matthews' women with a sigh.

"Good night." Mrs. Matthews said warmly, but with an air of concern. "We look forward to seeing you soon."

"Wait, Peaches." Riley walked over to her friend. "We need to talk, don't we?"

"Another time, Riles." Maya bit her lip and turned around, heading for the door.

This was turning out to be a long argument...too long for Riley's taste.

* * *

She stood in front of the mirror, doing her daily inspection. It didn't look too bad: her heels were nice and tall, her ripped jeans snug, her blouse perfect, and—no _those_ definitely had to go. Looking around her room, Maya searched for the object, moving aside piles of random junk. Eventually finding it beneath a pile of crumpled papers, she grabbed it and crossed back over to the mirror. She winced as she prepared herself for the painful experience she was about to inflict upon herself. Bringing the pliers to her mouth, she started to close it around her braces, when a knock came from her window. Letting out a yelp, Maya dropped the tool on her foot.

"What the heck, Huckleberry?!" she yelled.

"Sorry," Lucas grimaced from behind the glass.

Limping over to him, she opened the window and growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"About what? You do remember I'm not really allowed to see anyone right? And you do realize we have a front door?"

"Yah, that's why I came in through your window," he smiled and hopped into her room.

"Ugh, whatever. Why are you here, then?" Maya rolled her eyes and rubbed her sore foot.

"I wanted to apologize."

"Really." She raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes," he answered cautiously. "Look, I'm not saying I believe all of my actions were wrong, but I am sorry for pushing you too much. I don't know what I said to make you do what you did, though."

"Do what?"

"The whole thing with the painting."

"Oh." Maya's face grew unreadable. "Well, to ease your suffering Ranger Rick, you didn't say anything."

"Then why—"

"Did you come here to apologize, or make it worse?" she interrupted.

"Right, sorry." Lucas sighed. "Okay, I'll try not to push you as much anymore. But, that doesn't mean I won't when I think it's necessary...you're my friend and if I see that you need that extra shove, I will oblige."

"Fine." Maya walked back over to the pliers on the ground and picked them up.

"What were you doing, Shortstack?" he asked, walking over to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, when I knocked, you were holding a sharp object to your face." Lucas pointed at the tool.

How do you answer that?

"Uh, I was just inspecting it to make sure they were pliers." Maya winced. "I'm not very good with tools, you know."

"It was in your mouth."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. I was trying to get rid of my stupid braces! Happy?"

"That was stupid." Lucas snatched the pliers out of her hand.

"Why?" she asked defensively.

"Because you could have really messed things up, not to mention you would be wasting a lot of money!"

"What do you mean a lot of money?"

Lucas shook his head. "Do you have any idea how much braces cost?"

"Not really." Maya shrugged indifferently. "But, it can't be that much."

"Um, try something like 5,000 dollars," Lucas challenged. "And really it can be anywhere between 3 and 7 thousand."

"What?" Her eyebrows practically shot off of her forehead.

"Yes, _now_ will you stop making dumb mistakes?"

Maya ignored him and started for her door. "My mom should never have paid that much for them. How _did_ she even pay for them? I need to go talk to her."

Lucas walked in front of her and blocked the door.

"Just accept the gift, Clutterbucket. Your mom was doing something nice for you."

"Oh, really nice gift," she said sarcastically, crossing her arms. "And I can talk to my mom if I want, Huckleberry."

"Why can't you realize that people just want to do nice things for you? Even if it costs them," he sighed.

"I do know that and I just want her to know she doesn't need to pay for things like this!" Maya gave up trying to get past Sundance and instead flopped onto her bed. "She has enough things to worry about as it is."

Lucas gingerly sat on the edge of her bed, trying not to sit on her legs.

"Yes, but everyone has things to worry about. It doesn't mean they still can't do things for people, it just might mean that it's a little harder. Nothing wrong with that."

"Ugh." The blue haired girl rested her hand on her forehead. "You're so annoying."

"Only for you, ma'am." He tipped his imaginary hat.

"You're such a Huckleberry."

Maya sighed and offered him a small smile. He grinned back and they sat like that, staring at each other in silence. They seemed to do this often and it was a comfortable quiet that couldn't be found with others.

She allowed herself to think about Lucas, but just this once. Remembering the Halloween dance, she played the scene in her head. That night, she hadn't felt insecure, especially around Lucas...did she still feel that way? Cocking her head at his light green eyes, she decided she _didn't_ quite feel the same anymore. Oh, she still liked him and she was still going to hide it, but something felt different now. She wasn't sure it was their friendship or her who had changed...Maya certainly didn't feel as insecure around him, but that was probably because he was her friend. She still felt that emotion though and again, it was a far cry from 2 months ago. Maya still felt insecure and she knew that no one could fix it, and she hated it. She seemed to hate a lot of things lately.

Lucas fixed his eyes on her baby blue ones and contemplated the small girl in front of him. She seemed to be lost in thought, but her gaze was directly on him as well. It didn't seem like she was going to speak anytime soon, so he allowed his mind to wander wherever it decided to take him. How did he feel about Maya, really? He didn't know and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Who knew how they felt about things at their age? But, what he did know was there was some connection between them, be it bad, good, platonic—

"You know my mom's going to come in here and kick both of our butts, right?" Maya spoke up suddenly.

He laughed. "Yah, I guess that's true."

"Okay, then goodbye now." She pulled him up by his shirt collar and dragged him over to the window.

Lucas obliged and started to climb out the window, before stopping and facing the small girl.

"When are you going again?" he asked quietly.

Her face darkened. "I'm not sure yet. But, _you're_ not going."

"Why, Maya?"

"Because you're our "Moral Compass", and I'm not going to ruin your life too." Maya tried to push the rest of him out onto the fire escape.

"You're not ruining my life." Lucas stood planted where he was.

"Yes, I am. Now go!"

He grabbed her wrists. "Why do you think that?"

"I already told you! Jeez, you're dense, Ranger Rick!"

"I'm not as perfect as everyone seems, Shortstack."

"I know that," Maya sighed. "So, I certainly don't need to make it worse...can you please just leave?"

"No, I don't want you to think you're ruining my life," Lucas insisted.

"Okay, fine. I'm not ruining your life," she rolled her eyes.

He snorted. "Oh, that's sincere."

"What do you want to hear? I'm messing up everyone's else's lives, too?" Maya's eyes grew dangerous. "Cause' that way you don't feel alone, don't worry, it's not just you."

"Maya—" Lucas furrowed his brow.

"Just stop." She held up a hand and ran her fingers through her hair. "There's no point to this conversation."

"Yes, there is and if you tell me to go one more—"

She put a hand over his mouth and raised a thick eyebrow.

"Shut up. I _will_ call my mom."

Lucas raised his hands and finished climbing out of the window. He leaned his head back in before she could close it and made sure Maya was looking at him.

"You know this isn't over, right?"

"Why not, Heehaw?" She tapped her foot.

"Because I know you "ran away". I know about the art museums. I know you're insecure. I know you and Riley are in a fight. And most importantly, I know you're not okay." He gave her stare for stare. "I'll see you later, Shortstack."

He turned and made his way down to the sidewalk below, leaving behind a very confused Maya. Both of them had no idea what was going to happen next.

* * *

"Why is it we always run into each other?" Maya growled, picking up her coffee cup. "Literally?"

"You tell me, Hart," Jazz smirked.

Maya groaned at the spilled drink all over the sidewalk and mourned the loss of her morning coffee. She hadn't even gotten a sip, yet.

"Okay, well now you owe me a drink."

"Some other time. I'm in a hurry." Her cousin leaned against the brick wall, watching the younger girl dab away a spot on her shirt.

"Then why are you wasting time talking to me, huh?"

"Cause' we need to discuss our next...escapade," she grinned. "How does the 17th sound?"

Maya straightened. "Do you ever, I don't know, second guess this whole thing?"

"Are you getting cold feet, Hart?" Jazz's voice lowered.

"No," she immediately retorted. "But, this could have serious consequences."

"Who you been talking to, huh?" the taller girl snorted.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You sound different...and not in a good way."

"I'm still going, okay? Lay off, I'm just saying."

"Good, there's no problem then," Jazz smiled. "I'll see you next week."

Maya watched her cousin stride down the sidewalk purposefully, before returning to gathering her things and heading in the opposite direction. Oh, boy was she in a deep hole. The worst thing about it was there was no escape and she knew it.

* * *

It was noon and it was pretty nice for winter in New York. So, Maya wasn't wearing quite as many layers today...at least on her body. On her face, there was just as many additions to her natural beauty as usual. She could tell people noticed her and at some points she really liked the attention. Craved it too, some days. It meant she was good enough for everyone and she didn't have to pretend in front of them.

Except, she was—NO. That was just Riley talking, she was just changing and this was her now. She wasn't pretending and the girl clicking down the sidewalk was her completely. No doubts, no worries, no insecurities.

"Are you Maya Hart?"

She turned her head towards the sound of the unfamiliar voice. It belonged to a younger girl, probably around 5 or 6, and she was straining against the hand of an apologetic woman.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she tried to smile sweetly.

"No, she just thought you looked like someone she saw before," the woman smiled back, gripping the little girl's hand tighter. "I apologize."

"Well, it just so happens, she's right," Maya admitted. "Where did she see me?"

The girl grinned widely and managed to rip her hand free of the older woman's.

"In a picture."

"Oh, where?" She furrowed her brow.

The woman now had a thoughtful expression on her face and was studying Maya with interest.

"On my daddy's desk. He said some day I might be able to meet you and that you were my sister."

Her breath caught in her throat and she had to steady herself on a nearby lamp post.

"I'm sorry, did you say sister?" Maya tried to calm her beating heart and flushed face.

"Yes!" The little girl clasped her hands together happily. "I've never had a sister before and now that I've met you, we can play together!"

Maya turned to the older woman.

"Who's your husband?" she asked fearfully, trying to hide the emotion behind her mask.

She pursed her lips. "Kermit...I think I've said enough, huh?"

"I'm really sorry, I just—"

"I understand, sweetheart. We'll just leave you to it." She gave her a sympathetic look. "Come on, Hope. We need to go now."

"I don't want to!" Hope pouted, popping out her bottom lip. "I want to talk with Maya."

"Tell you what, I'll give her our phone number and she can call us if she wants." Her mother looked questioningly up at the blue haired girl. "If that's okay with you?"

"That's fine," she managed to get out.

"Yay!" Hope cried, reminding her of Riley.

"Okay, here you go, honey." The woman handed her a slip of paper she had quickly scribbled on. "Don't feel like you're obligated to call us though, okay?"

"Thanks," Maya whispered.

She gave her another pitying look and grabbed Hope's hand again, walking towards a clothing store.

"Bye, Maya!" The little girl waved.

She gave her a wave in return and watched their retreating forms. Collapsing on a nearby bench, she stared straight ahead at nothing, while thoughts ran rampant through her brain.

Maya had closed that chapter in her life already and she had no desire to reopen it. Those two had no idea what impression and emotion they had just left on her, but it wasn't a good one. At this point she just needed to move, or she was going to cry, scream, or punch the concrete wall behind her. None of them seemed like good options, so she forced herself to get up and start walking.

And she didn't care where she was going... just anywhere and as long as it was away.


	20. Can't Find Sleep or Peace

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and followed! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **I can't believe we're on Chapter 20! It's so weird, and I honestly never thought I'd get this far! FUN FACT: This story was originally a one shot I had dreamed up in my head that I had the sudden impulse to write down...I'm sure glad I did! ;) (And I never imagined I'd actually publish this!)**_

 _ **UPDATED: 1-4-17**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty: Can't Find Sleep or Peace

What time was it now? Maya glanced over at the small alarm clock by her bed and groaned inwardly. It was almost 2:30 and she still couldn't fall asleep. What was up with that? For the last couple weeks, she couldn't go to sleep and it was beyond frustrating. To begin with, she still had school and it left her tired and drained for the whole day...and then, the rest of time she just moved sluggishly through it.

Groping for her phone in the dark, she found it by her head and braced herself for the brightness. She pushed the power button and squinted at the light, unlocking her phone in the process. Maya stared at the home page for awhile, before making her decision. There was no way he would respond, but she was bored, so why not? Opening her message app, she clicked on his contact and typed a quick message.

 **Maya:** _Hey, Huckleberry! Whatcha' doing?_

Resting the phone on her chest, she stared up at the ceiling for a total of 3 minutes before her device surprisingly buzzed.

 **Lucas:** _Sleeping..._

 **Maya:** _Obviously not._

 **Lucas:** _Yes, a certain Clutterbucket woke me up ;) What's up?_

 **Maya:** _Couldn't sleep._

There was a minute of quiet before her phone vibrated again.

 **Lucas:** _How come?_

 **Maya:** _You know as much as I do, Ranger Rick._

 **Lucas:** _Maya, how often does this happen?_

She hesitated.

 **Maya:** _Every night..._

 **Lucas:** _How long?_

 **Maya:** _A couple of weeks...it's not a big deal._

 **Lucas:** _It kind of is._

 **Maya:** _Only if you make it._

 **Lucas:** _What do you usually do?_

 **Maya:** _Stare at the extremely fascinating ceiling..._

 **Lucas:** _So, why did you decide to text me tonight? Or morning..._

 **Maya:** _...I don't know._

She sighed, and rubbed her tired brow. Maya really hated this whole thing: she was so tired of not knowing the whys of anything. Or how she was feeling, or how to fix anything. Her life was so exhausting.

 **Lucas:** _What do you want to do?_

 **Maya:** _Can we just talk?_

 **Lucas:** _Sure...what's going on?_

 **Maya:** _Nothing, really...I'm just bored._

 **Lucas:** _I can tell when something's going on, Maya._

 **Maya:** _You can't even see me!_

 **Lucas:** _I don't need to._

 **Maya:** _That's creepy..._

 **Lucas:** _Seriously, Maya. What's going on?_

 **Maya:** _My stepsister and her mother showed up today._

There was a good 10 minutes of silence this time.

 **Lucas:** _Oh, gosh..._

 **Maya:** _That's all you have to say?_

 **Lucas:** _What do you want me to say?_

 **Maya:** _I don't know! I don't know anything, Huckleberry...I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. Or what I'm supposed to feel, or what I'm supposed to do._

 **Lucas:** _There is no_ supposed _to there. Just feel whatever you want to feel..._

 **Maya:** _I can't...I just—can't._

 **Lucas:** _Why?_

 **Maya:** _I DON'T KNOW!_

On her side of the conversation, she threw the phone on the floor and bit her lip to keep from crying. She was not weak. So, she would get over herself and just live with what life had given her. That's how it functioned, didn't it? Life gave you crap and you just lived with it...story of her life.

From the floor, the phone kept buzzing and Maya slid out of bed to reach it. Picking it up, she slid her finger across the screen and held it up to her ear.

" _Yes?_ "

" _Okay, Maya. Let's hear it._ " Lucas's voice was heavy with sleep.

" _I'm not sure what you're shooting for, Sundance_ _,_ " Maya sighed and leaned against her bed on the floor.

" _What do you think about it? Just say what you want to._ "

Maya ran her fingers over her soft sweatpants.

" _She gave me her number so I could call them...there's this little girl and she wants to see me. That little girl is my stepsister._ "

Lucas stayed silent.

" _And I knew he had another family and I had accepted it, but this is a whole different thing. Lucas, what am I supposed to do?_ " Maya's voice rose.

" _Do you really want someone to help you right now, or just listen?_ " He asked softly.

" _I don't know._ " She bit her mouth hard and drew a satisfying drop of blood.

" _Okay, then here's what I'm going to say: don't be afraid to do what you feel like. This situation has no obligation to it, so don't worry about it._ "

She snorted. " _Easier said then done._ "

" _Why do you feel like you don't know what you think, anymore? Honestly, think it through._ "

Maya sat there, frozen in her spot. How did she answer that, when she didn't even know herself? Big shock there.

" _Okay, Sundance. I'm going to say it again: I don't know...but, maybe it's because everyone keeps bugging me about everything, huh?_ "

" _Is that really what you think, Maya?_ "

" _Of course it's not!_ " She rolled her eyes.

Lucas paused and cautiously continued the conversation. " _Thank you for telling me about your stepsister, I'm glad you can tell me some things...what did Riley say about it?_ "

" _I didn't tell her._ "

" _You didn't tell her?_ " His voice was full of surprise.

" _No_."

" _...and you told me?_ "

Maya pursed her lips.

" _I guess so, Huckleberry._ "

He paused. " _Okay, get some sleep, Shortstack._ "

" _That's it?_ " She raised her eyebrows. " _You aren't going to force me to talk about everything?_ "

" _Not right now._ " He yawned. " _It's 3 a.m., and we have school later today._ "

" _Sorry I woke you up._ "

" _I'm glad you did, Clutterbucket...I'll see you tomorrow, okay?_ "

Maya sighed. " _You know I won't get any sleep right? I'm going to fall asleep in class again._ "

" _Tell you what: I'll buy you coffee tomorrow if you really try to sleep._ "

She smiled. _"Deal...I'll hold you to it, Ranger Rick._ "

" _I know. Good night for real, now._ " Lucas said, his voice thick with sleep.

" _Good night, Sundance._ "

* * *

Maya opened her locker and reached for her history textbook in the far back of her locker, having to stand on her tip-toes even though she was in high heels. She finally managed to grab the edge of it, but slipped on a piece of paper on the ground and started to fall. A hand steadied her and she turned around to find Lucas's grin staring down at her.

"Good morning, Shortstack."

"Ugh, it's a morning, all right," she sighed and lifted herself off of him.

"How long did it take you to fall asleep?" Lucas handed her a cup of coffee, which she practically snatched out of his hands.

"Uh, try 5:30," Maya groaned and took a sip of her drink.

"Seriously?" He raised a concerned eyebrow. "Don't you usually get up at 7?"

"Yah, just about."

"You're telling me you only got 2 hours of sleep?"

Maya rummaged through her littered bag, looking for a lone pencil in the mess.

"1 and a half, Huckleberry." She corrected.

"I don't know how you manage to stay awake." Lucas shook his head. "Gosh, how often do you only get 1 hour of sleep? How much do you usually get?"

"Um, about 3 hours...maybe four." Maya replied absentmindedly, as she picked up an unfamiliar envelope and began inspecting it discreetly.

"How are you supposed to pay attention in class?" He was gaining some attention from other students, but they both ignored them.

She opened the flap and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Not my fault, Sundance...I want to sleep, just as much as you want me to."

"I know, but have you liked tried anything? Why do you think you're not sleeping in the first place?" Lucas sighed.

"Uh—" Maya stared at the photo attached to the paper. "—um, not really...and I don't know."

"I would suggest trying something and I'm sure you have _some_ idea why," he said, watching her hair shift, as she stood in the doorway of her locker. "What are you doing, Maya?"

"Nothing." She stuffed the photo deep into her pocket and slammed the locker shut.

"That was extremely convincing. _Bravo_ ," Lucas responded sarcastically.

"Thank you," she bowed mockingly and headed down the hallway.

He ran after her and once he caught up, slowed his pace to match hers.

"Okay, about last night."

"M-hmm?"

"What are you going to do?"

She ran a hand through her blue hair. "I'm not sure, yet."

"Can I suggest something?" he asked cautiously.

Maya scoffed and smirked up at the tall boy. "You can try, Huckleberry."

Lucas took a deep breath. "Why don't you give them a chance? I know it's probably going to be really hard and I don't blame you, but I think you should give it a shot. After all, you're Maya Hart and I know her to be one fierce girl."

"I don't want to." She shook her head. "I want nothing to do with him."

"So, you do know how you feel." He pointed out.

"Kind of."

"Well, that's better...now, we just need to get you to decide logically which is a challenge in it of itself."

"I can think logically," Maya protested. "And my head is telling me it hates my father."

"I don't think you hate your father."

"You can't tell me that," she shot back.

Lucas shifted his collection of books from his left arm to his right.

"I get it; you've been through a lot. Your father doesn't have the best track record. But, when you told me about that memory where you were dancing in the rain, you didn't say it with hate. That memory was important to you and so is your father...whether or not you choose to believe it."

"Whatever." Maya clicked faster down the linoleum floor. "I don't care if I have some idea of how I feel, it doesn't change the fact that I don't like him."

"Yes, but you're not doing this for him, remember?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"That little girl wanted to see you and she didn't care that you were her stepsister...so, it would be for her and not for your father if you chose to reach out to them. And I think it would benefit you and her."

"You know there's something off about her," Maya mused, sliding into another topic easily.

He rolled his eyes. "Please don't try to change the subject again. This is serious."

"I'm not," she insisted. "Look, that little girl said she'd seen me in a picture before and that she recognized me."

"So?"

"So, the last time my dad would have had a picture of me would have been when I was like 7! Don't you think that's weird? How could she have recognized me?"

"I don't know, Maya. Some people look a lot like their baby pictures—or kid pictures..." Lucas sighed exasperatedly. "Can you just promise me you'll go visit them once?"

"I'll think about it." She strode briskly into the classroom, no longer looking at him.

"That's a start," Lucas sighed.

* * *

Maya regretted her decision as soon as she knocked on the door, but it was too late at that point. Mrs. Matthews opened the door in surprise, but let her in.

"Hi, honey." She closed it behind the small girl. "What happened to the window?"

"It's temporarily broken." Maya shifted her weight awkwardly.

The older woman pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips.

"Riley's in her spot."

She nodded and started to head into the bedroom, when Mrs. Matthews stopped her with a gentle hand.

"Do you want to take off your coat, first?"

"I have a feeling this isn't going to be a long visit, but thanks." Maya shook her head.

She felt her gaze on her back, as she walked down the hallway and into Riley's bedroom. Crossing immediately to the bay window, she plopped herself down with a sigh and met her best friend's gaze.

"Okay, let's do this." Maya crossed her legs.

Riley tore her gaze away from the tree outside and turned to face the smaller girl beside her.

"I hate this," the brunette began, not daring to beat around the bush this time. "I hate not being able to talk to you and know that you're angry at me...I miss you, Peaches."

"I miss you too, Riles," Maya sighed and fiddled with a strand of bright blue hair. "I just don't even know where to start."

"We could start by apologizing, " she answered.

The other girl nodded in agreement and then waited, with Riley doing the same thing. They both stared at each other and then in unison, their faces darkened.

"Go ahead." Maya cocked her head.

"Me? You're the one who hurt me!" Her jaw dropped. " _You_ should be the one apologizing!"

"Ha! You're the one who was nagging me and telling me how you want me to live my life...which in case you didn't catch, was whatever _you_ thought was best!"

"I'm just trying to help!" Riley's eyes misted over.

"How, huh? By forcing me to do things? Pushing me to my limits and cracking me open like an egg: trying to figure out all of my secrets? Well, no thank you. If that's the kind of friend you're going to be, I want nothing to do with you." Maya stood up, her whole being tingling with anger.

"Don't say that." She shook her head. "I know you don't mean that."

"Who are you to say that?" The girl demanded. "You don't know how I feel."

"But, I know _you_ , Maya...and this isn't what you would think."

The aforementioned girl scoffed and started to open the closed window, bracing herself for the cold blast of air.

"Good bye, Riley."

"Don't leave!" she cried, clutching the smaller girl's foot. "I'm angry at you, but I don't want to lose you as my best friend!"

"Should've thought of that when you did what you did."

"I didn't do anything!"

Maya smirked. "Okay, you think whatever you want to."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it. You're just too caught up in Rileytown to realize other people have their own thoughts and opinions. If you were in charge, no one would get a say in anything and you'd just rule them like a selfish and tyrannical queen."

"Why are we fighting like this?" Riley's voice quivered. "We never do."

Maya turned and lifted her head arrogantly. "You tell me."

And with that, she slipped out the window, leaving behind a crying Riley and any hope she had of reconciliation.

* * *

"Honey?" Ms. Hart crept into the room silently.

Maya looked up from her math homework. Boy, was this stuff boring! How did Farkle like it and why did he relish every moment of it? He certainly was a strange little robot—ahem, boy.

"Yah?"

"Are you in the mood for talking?" She asked, sitting next to her and resting her hands in her lap.

"Not really." Maya picked up her pencil again and filled in the bubble next to "B". That seemed right.

"Then, would you be so kind as to oblige me?" Ms. Hart sighed heavily.

"I'm a little busy, mom." She pointed to her paper.

"I think you can spare me a couple of minutes, Maya."

"Fine." She groaned and braced herself for the dreaded conversation ahead.

Ms. Hart tapped her fingers on the bed and tried to decide where to start.

"Okay, honey. I told you we would talk after I got back and it's time now...look, I don't know what's going on with you but I really hope you know you can tell me anything."

Maya propped herself up on one elbow.

"I do."

"Then, can you please tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, mom."

"I'm not blind, Maya," her mother protested. "You're my daughter and I can tell when something's not right."

"Ugh, why can't people just leave me alone?" she muttered.

"Because we care about you."

"Do you? Or are you just pretending?" the smaller girl spat.

Ms. Hart's face was full of puzzlement and concern.

"Of course we're not pretending! Maya, everyone you know loves you. How could you ever think otherwise?"

"Words are just words, right?" She made sure her face resembled nonchalance. "But, actions they speak louder than words...and I'm only judging actions right now."

"You can't just judge actions, Baby girl. I get it, because I've been through lots of things, but words from people you care about don't just come out for nothing. When they love you, they won't just say things because it's the right thing to say, they'll tell you things because they mean it."

"Then how come dad told you he loved you, huh?" Maya's eyes grew bright. "I see how that worked out."

Her mother's face turned sad and hurt.

"Because he didn't love me, sweetheart."

"You said he did...and he must have at some point, otherwise he wouldn't have married you. The point is, you can't trust people and I'm not going to be a sucker in life. Life is going to hand me crap and I'm going to take it with dignity. No matter what."

"Honey, don't think like that." Ms. Hart grabbed her hand. "Yes, life can suck and it's hard, but the real trial is how we deal with what it gives us. How we handle it, is what makes us the person we are...if you give up, or you just plow through your hardships, you aren't going to be the best person you can be. And I want that for you, Maya. Don't just think of life as a thing to get through: it's a gift and even though it can be the hardest thing ever to do, you have to see your troubles as a gift too...because everything happens for a reason and even though you can't see it right now, you'll probably never trade those hard times for anything. In the long run, it can benefit us in ways we'd never expect and if we hadn't had them, things would be so different. And probably not in a good way."

"See, that's the difference between you and me, mom," Maya stared directly into her eyes. "You're still falling for the illusion and I've realized the truth."

"What illusion?"

"That there's still hope in the world...that's there's still hope for you and me. It's not there and I don't ever expect it to be. Yes, good things may come my way once in a while, but it's just the calm before the storm and I'm not going to crash my ship."

"Maya, there's always hope." She sounded so sad and wistful.

"No, mom. There's not. And the sooner I realize it, the better off I'll be."


	21. Reaching Out

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **BTW: I'm excited for you guys to read the next chapter! It's probably sad, but I really liked writing it...so, I leave you with that! ;) Also, I've never written "young" characters before (Hope), so I hope-haha-it's not too terrible! I do babysit, so I have some knowledge of how kids "work", but again I've never written about a kid...**_

 _ **One more thing and I'm sorry for rambling on when I know you guys just want to read the story. Lately, I've had like a really hard time writing this story-stupid writer's block-so any encouragement/reviews would be SO appreciated. I'm not going to suddenly stop posting/writing of course, don't worry, but it's just getting kind of hard so yeah... Love you all though and thank so much for the wonderful support!  
**_

 _ **UPDATED: 1-4-17**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One: Reaching Out

Maya stared down at the photo and tried her best to resist the urge to rip it into bits. How did they even know all about her? This was too much and if she had been a weaker person, she would probably be crying right now.

It was a photo of her father with his new family, all smiles and laughter. No, it wasn't a big deal, but it was in the sense that it was penetrating an old wound. Maya absolutely hated it and her desire to reach out to her stepsister was diminishing with each second. Lucas had told her she should go see them, but she really didn't want to. After all, that little girl had to come from someone and it certainly wasn't her mother. How did you get past something like that?

"Whatcha' looking at?"

Maya snapped out of her thoughts and slipped the photo underneath her notebook.

"Hey, Josh," she smiled weakly.

"Hey, Ferret," he winked.

"That's a new one." Maya mused. "Is that from that one time...?"

"Oh, yah." Josh sat down next to her. "You sure did like to jump on my back."

She grinned sheepishly and started to put her homework away.

"What were you working on?"

"Ugh, some stupid geometry. I swear, I'm the worst geometrist there is," Maya groaned.

"That's not a word—"

The small girl waved him off. "Whatever...the point is I suck."

"Yah, I wasn't the best at geometry myself," Josh laughed.

She finished putting everything away, then slid off of her stool and began walking towards the door of the coffee shop.

"Are we going or what?" the girl called over her slim shoulder.

He smirked and followed her quickly.

They eventually made their way to the park, where they decided silently to stop and watch the ice skaters. Maya's gaze was fixed on a small blonde girl, who was clutching the arm of her father. She was slipping, but her hold was firm and the child was able to stay up - with a little help of course. Maybe that's what she had done wrong, she hadn't been able to hold on tightly enough and she had let her father slip through her fingers. Except she had been too young to have been able to control anything, so it wouldn't have made any difference. But, still the pair gained her attention and Maya wistfully watched them laugh and giggle as they spun in small circles.

Josh watched the girl beside him with interest. What was going on in her head right now? He could never tell though he wished he could. Josh knew that it was his duty to protect and make sure she was okay, and he felt like he was failing. Mainly because he had let her do the art museums. Yes, he had made his own decision, but it was a stupid one and if he could help someone else not make the same one, he would. But, how did he get her to see it? He didn't know if he could and if he was never able to, then at least he would be there to protect and be there for her...because she was important to him, just as much as Riley was.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Maya leaned against the railing, still watching the ice skaters.

He turned and rested his back against it, letting out a sigh. "Are you sure you really want to get into mischief, right now?"

"Yes."

"You don't think we're being stupid at all?"

"What the heck?" she groaned and turned to look at him in exasperation. "Where's this coming from and how do I put it back?"

"I'm sorry, Maya. I just feel responsible for you, and what I'm dragging you into isn't good."

"Are you talking about the art museums?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Partially," he admitted.

"Wait a minute...who said you're responsible for me?"

"I did."

"Oh, really? And why is that?" Maya narrowed her eyes.

"Because I care about you and I need to make sure you're going to be okay," Josh shrugged. "You and Riley are important and you both need to be protected."

She scoffed. "Well, apparently I need to remind you that I don't need help. I thought I made that perfectly clear 3 months ago."

"Don't do this, please. There's not reason for it and it just makes things awkward and annoying. In fact, let's just move on," Josh said.

"Nu-uh." Maya shook a finger in his face. "I need to clarify this...for the last couple of weeks you've been just fine with letting me do stupid things. Well, kind of, you still complained but you let me do them. What's changed?"

Good question.

"I don't know."

Liar. He did know...mostly. Josh was noticing Maya's little cracks getting wider and he knew it was only a matter of time before she broke. He was trying to help her before it was too late and doing reckless things wasn't going to help.

"Well, stop!" she exclaimed. " _Now_ , we get to do things, because I don't care what you say."

"Maya—" He began in protest.

"Ssh." The blue haired girl put a finger on his lips. "I'm doing this with or without you."

"No. I'm not going to let you do something else." Josh shook his head.

"Okay, well goodbye," she shrugged and started trudging up the slippery hill.

He muttered something under his breath and ran after her. "I can't leave you alone."

"Yes, you can."

"No...and I just told you I wasn't going to let you do anything, but if you're so set on being stupid, I have to come with you to make sure things don't get out of hand."

Maya just grinned triumphantly.

He studied her and groaned as realization hit.

"You knew I was going to follow you."

"Obviously...I excel at blackmail, Uncle Boing." She threw her old nickname at him with a cute smirk.

Josh sighed heavily and turned his gaze to the top of the hill they were currently climbing. His mind wandered and he obliged its whims, letting himself relax.

Honestly, it was weird for him, too. One minute he was okay with pulling pranks with Maya and the next he was set on not allowing her to do so. Just 2 weeks ago, he had told himself it was alright to let her have a little fun...and now, he had completely changed his mind again. And he knew the reason, but it was still odd that he had changed his mind set so quickly in such a short amount of time...

She ended up leading him to a small store, where she quickly stalked to the candy section and grabbed a heath bar. Josh raised an eyebrow as she stuffed it into her pocket.

"Seriously? Stealing candy?"

"What? I'm hungry," Maya said defensively.

"I could just buy you something, you know."

"Yah, but this is much more fun."

Maya smirked and strode out with as much confidence as she had walking in. Josh trailed behind, slower than before. This was getting to be a bit much—no, it already was. And the worst part was that it was all his fault. He had encouraged this and now she thought it was okay to just steal because she could. Josh really wanted to say a bad word, but he figured Maya would pick up the habit and then he'd be the cause of another problem. And he didn't want that.

* * *

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Maya ran that word through her brain over and over. It perfectly suited the situation, so why not voice it? She shouldn't be here...it wasn't a good idea and was only going to end in disaster.

At that point, she had made up her mind to leave, but it was too late. Because just then, the door swung open and the woman from before smiled, immediately waving her in.

"Hi, honey. It's so good to see you." She closed it behind her gently. "Hope is really excited that you're here."

"Well, I couldn't say no," Maya said, with a forced smile.

The woman led her to a small kitchen and invited her to hop up on one of the bar stools.

"I'm really sorry, but I just realized I didn't give you my name before." She smiled apologetically. "It's Joy, by the way."

"I'm sorry, Joy and Hope?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

Joy laughed. "Yah, well that's what you get when you have parents who have optimistic views on life, I guess."

"I see," She said awkwardly.

Joy paused from her moving about the kitchen and placed her hands on her hips.

"Where is Hope? I would've expected her to come down—"

"Maya!" the little girl shrieked and burst through the doorway.

"There she is."

"Hi," the blue haired girl answered awkwardly. She never was that good with kids.

"Do you like my dress? I wore it because we're going to play princesses today!" She twirled around in her sparkly, pink dress.

"It's very pretty." Maya couldn't help but grin at the little girl's antics; automatically thinking of Riley. "A perfect fit for a princess."

Hope beamed. "I like her, mommy."

"Yah, so do I," Joy said adoringly, turning back to her oven.

"Are those cookies?" the young girl asked, interest piqued.

"M-hmm." Her mother brought the tray out. "But you have to finish your lunch first, sweetheart."

"I don't want to." Hope's demeanor went from bubbly to pouty in 2 seconds flat.

"Maya, would you mind getting the princess to eat her carrots?" She called from the counter.

"Um, well I'm not that great with little kids..."

Joy slid her oven mitt off her hand.

"Don't worry, honey. She'll listen to you...it's just because I'm her mother. I'll bet you money she'll eat them if you convince her."

Maya reluctantly took the plate of carrots and walked over to the small table, sitting next to the dejected child.

"Hey, Hope."

"Hi, Maya," she smiled sweetly.

"How do you feel about eating carrots, huh?"

"No. I don't like them."

Maya did her best over dramatic sigh.

"That's too bad," she said, popping one into her mouth.

"Why?" Hope asked suspiciously.

"Oh, it doesn't matter." Maya waved her off. "You obviously don't want them, so I'll just get all the magic for myself."

"What magic?!" The little girl's eyes widened.

"I don't think you want to know."

"I do!"

"Okay, then. It just so happens that these carrots," Maya waved one in the air like a miniature, orange wand. "Will turn you into a princess."

"Ooh!" She snatched it out of her hands and bit it with enthusiasm.

"See, was that hard?" Joy called, watching the scene with a big smile.

Maya blushed and fiddled with the edge of her shirt. Hope finished her bite and then looked at Maya, a frown creeping back onto her face.

"Nothing's happening."

"Oh, really?" The older girl placed a small tiara she had luckily found nearby on her head. "You look like one to me."

Hope giggled. "I like these magic carrots."

"Yah, they're pretty good."

Once the smaller girl had finished her vegetables, Joy brought over a plate of cookies and some glasses of milk. They all sat at the the table, laughing and enjoying the ridiculous statements made Hope.

"You know, I like dipping my cookies in milk!" she stated, doing said action. "I like it when it gets soggy."

Maya cracked up. "You'd be the first person I've ever heard say that."

"Well, have you ever met a princess before?" the small child asked solemnly.

"No."

"Well, only princesses say that. And I'm a princess, so I like soggy cookies."

Maya turned to Joy.

"She's cute."

"Isn't she?" Her mother smiled down at her daughter.

And it was in that moment where Maya forgot all about her father and where she was at. Because that scene was just 3 people having a good time, not caring about who they were and why they were there.

Unfortunately, it was ruined when her father walked in through a small door she hadn't noticed before then. He stopped at the edge of the counter and furrowed his brow as if trying to tell if it was really his daughter. Maya noticed him at the same time he did and her grinning face darkened.

"Hi, Maya," he leaned against the counter.

"Hi, dad," she responded as coldly as possible.

"I didn't realize you were coming over." Kermit looked pointedly at Joy.

Hope hopped out of her chair and ran to embrace him.

"She's here to play princess with me, daddy!"

"Yah?" He picked her up much to her delight. "Are you guys locked in a tower like Rapunzel?"

She giggled. "No. We're going to a ball this time!"

"Hmm. Now, what princess went to a ball? Was it Ariel?" he pretended to think it over.

"No!" she shrieked. "Like Cinderella!"

"Oh, yah," Kermit smiled and set the small girl down.

Maya had watched the whole exchange and it hurt a little, seeing him do the things he should have done with her. This wasn't to say she wasn't glad Hope was going to grow up with a father, but she happened to share the same father...and he sure had messed up the first time.

Joy was watching the two with hidden concern and she payed Maya extra attention, as she discreetly studied her behind her glass. The girl was hiding her emotions extremely well, but she could tell she was hurting. Her own heart ached for her, as she had grown up in a similar family and she still carried around her own hurt. But, unfortunately it was nothing she could fix and she only hoped that Hope might be a bridge that connected the two. And who knew? It could benefit both of them in the long run, after all.

* * *

"What do you want for Christmas, Hart?" Jazz asked mockingly.

Maya smirked. "I don't know...some spray paint would be nice."

"Here ya' go," she grinned and tossed her a purple can.

They were in their 3rd art museum and she still didn't know how they managed to take care of the security cameras and sensors. Honestly, it was kind of impressive despite the circumstances.

"You want some, Huckleberry?" Maya raised her eyebrows at the stone faced figure beside her.

"Nope, I'm good."

Jazz leaned down to whisper in her cousin's ear. "What's up with him?"

"Beats me," she shrugged. "It's Ranger Rick, so who knows?"

Lucas crossed his arms and remained planted in the spot he had stood in for over an hour now. Maya continued her painting over a painting, before growing annoyed and turning to Sundance.

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

"Oh, like you tell me what's going on with you?" He wasn't in the mood today.

"What the heck! I'm just trying to be nice, Heehaw." She rolled her eyes and turned back to her stupidity.

"Look, Maya," he lowered his voice, so no one would overhear their conversation. "I know I went with you once, but this is so bad."

"I told you not to come," she retorted. "You insisted."

"Because I needed to protect you."

"Why does everyone think I need protecting?" Maya asked frustratingly. "First Josh, and now you...I don't need this, you know."

"Wait, when were you hanging out with Josh?" Lucas narrowed his eyes.

"Wow, calm down Cowboy. And it's none of your business."

Jazz took that time to address the whole group and interrupting their argument, much to Maya's relief. Lucas didn't share her feeling.

"Okay, it's time for the last wing of the year!" she grinned. "Let's go."

They all headed stealthily down the hall and into a big room with no apparent theme. She headed over to a small painting of a cat and some regal lady, with Lucas trudging behind her slowly.

Maya sprayed over the cat's white paw and feeling his eyes boring into her back, wrote Huckleberry on the lady's forehead. He scowled and rolled his eyes when she turned around to grin at him.

"How do you find any of this amusing?"

"Oh my gosh, what is up with boys this week?" She threw up her hands.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"Like seriously, you guys are worse than girl's mood swings...last month you didn't put up half the fight you are now and you even vandalized paintings. Tonight, you're giving me all this crap and won't touch a can of paint."

"Just because you're making this decision, doesn't mean I have to make the same one."

"I know! I told you not to come!"

"I came for you!"

She fought the urge to throttle him.

"Shut up. We already knew you're here only out of obligation, but I don't need to hear it."

"Maya, you know that's not true."

"No, what I know is that you just said you're only here to protect me...I'm merely a problem that everyone needs to fix, or another chore to check off their list. I guess I should be used to it, but whatever..."

"Okay, now hold on a minute." Lucas looked very concerned. "You're not just a problem."

Maya shook her head and moved on to the next painting. Her brain immediately tuned out Huckleberry's words, as she stared at the piece of art. Oh, this was going to be an interesting one to destroy.

She took out her red spray paint and covered the father in the painting, until he was nothing but a big, blob. The painting was of a father and his daughter, sitting on a porch, staring out at the rain. They were hand in hand and the girl was leaning adoringly on her father's shoulder. By painting over him, she was disconnecting the two and strangely it felt right...and yet not at the same time.

"...are you even listening?" Lucas threw up his hands.

"No," she whispered.

"I give up. I just give up." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Sorry," Maya said quietly.

He lifted his head. "Did you just apologize?"

Maya didn't answer. There were too many things going on her head right now to think clearly. What was this emotion she was feeling? It had occurred as soon as she had vandalized that painting and she wasn't sure where it was coming from. Was it guilt? Anger? Sadness? No, it wasn't any of those...it wasn't a numbness either. This time it was a raw and painful feeling, that seemed to tear at her heart and her mind. What was this?

And it was then that Maya realized she was breaking and things were about to seep out of her mask...Shawn had been right: at this point it was too late to stop it. But, she wasn't giving up. She would keep her mask on if the world was falling apart...even if it was crumbling right before her eyes and slipping right through her trembling fingers.


	22. Past the Point of No Return

**_Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
_**

 ** _Heads up: you should read this! So, I recently decided to follow some advice, and take time to revise some of my previous chapters. This means I won't be posting for a little while, which I hope everyone will be okay with! ;) This will be the last one for awhile, besides updated chapters, which you are welcome to check out once they are out. There are just some editing issues to be addressed, and I'd been debating this problem for awhile now, so this was a great opportunity to do so...Thank you!_**

 ** _BTW: Recently I have had problems with reviews on this website, as it won't show up here, and so then I can't reply to any of them! I apologize if you've reviewed, and I haven't answered. It's not intentional! ;)_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!_**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two: Past the Point of No Return

How stupid was she? I mean really?

Maya took a fistful of the page and ripped it to shreds. There was no more sadness or hurt; at least on the surface. What was there was anger, red hot anger. And it filled every inch of her skin and boiled furiously inside her heart. She was going to regret this afterwards. She knew that for sure...yet, she ignored her thoughts and continued her venture.

Maya looked at the painting of a gorgeous waterfall, and memorized its surface for the last time. Then, she took her knife and cut it into pieces...the water and the mossy ground mixing together in scraps on the dirty was almost appropriate it seemed, because she had destroyed other people's paintings, so why not her own? She sure as heck didn't deserve them and they sucked anyway, so why keep them?

Next, was her drawing of Riley in class. She had on a thoughtful expression, and Maya had drawn her with a daisy crown on her head. The artist slit her face in half.

"Maya, what are you doing—" Her mother walked in through the door, and her eyes widened.

The small girl didn't respond, or show any signs that she had heard her. Instead, she reached for the next sketchbook.

"Baby girl, what is this?" Ms. Hart grew extremely worried, and walked over to her daughter.

"None of your business." She answered as calmly as she could manage with the angry volcano daring to erupt inside of her.

"It _is_ my business, and I'm telling you to stop right now." She snatched the knife out of her hand.

Maya turned to her with a dangerous look, that, if hadn't been directed towards her mother, would've scared anyone else off.

"Give. It. Back."

She raised an eyebrow at her words. "I think you forget who you're talking to Maya Penelope," she responded, her tone lowering slightly. "Now, what are you doing?"

"Shut up! It's none of your business." Maya lost control – she was tired of having her actions probed – and screamed the words in her face.

"You're destroying your art work!" Her mother seemed unfazed by the yelling.

"I know. I'm not stupid."

"Obviously you are."

Her mother's retort was too much, and Maya knew that she needed her to leave, and _now_. She grabbed her mother's wrist, and, quicker than she could react, dragged her to the outside of her door.

"Thanks for reminding me," she snarled, before slamming the door in her face and locking it.

"You open this door right now!"

Maya stalked haughtily to her bed, and began the heavy labor of pushing it towards the door.

"What are you doing?" her mother demanded, hearing the scraping sound the bed made as it moved.

She ignored her mother, and breathed out heavily, trying not to lose her grip on the furniture.

"Do you know how much trouble you're in?"

Maya had almost reached her goal.

"I'm going to get Shawn."

There!

She made sure that the bed was firmly intact against the door before moving her much lighter dresser there as well. Maya wiped her hands off, and surveyed her work. Now, there was no way they were getting through that door.

She turned back to her paintings, and selected an older one. This was trash for sure. Choosing scissors this time, she began the tedious task of cutting it into strips. Sure, it was hard, but oh, so worth it. Well, kind of.

"Maya?" Shawn's voice came from behind the door this time.

"Why are you even here?" Maya asked bitterly, trying to cut through a particularly tough piece of canvas.

"I was going to take your mother out." He replied, sounding irritated.

"I thought I told you she was off limits, Hunter."

"And again, that's not your decision." Shawn cleared his throat. "But, that doesn't really matter. What are you up to?"

"Things." Maya pursed her lips.

"I know that line, and it's not a good one." He started to sound frustrated, and a little worried. "Open this door, Maya. Right now."

"You are not my father." She shot back, cutting a new strip.

It was silent. Very silent...but, only out in the open. Inside her head, there was a raging tidal wave of hurt, anger, and something else; something raw and powerful. As far as she was concerned, she had never had a father. And, what she had for a few short years had not been love. Because if it were love, it never would have died. He would still be here. So, what was love, really? To Maya, it was a mother who was there only part of the time. It was Riley, and it was her friends...but then again, the love of friends couldn't compare with family. That wasn't true love. Not by a long stretch.

"Maya." Shawn said, gently this time. "I know I'm not your father, but I care just as much about you as one. Please open the door."

"Don't say things like that." She reached for a next painting, this time opting to break it over her knee, and watched the dust cloud the room.

"Things like what?"

"You care."

"Maya, we do care! Stop saying that!" Her mother's said, suddenly speaking up. "And if we can't get you to realize that right now, can you at least please stop destroying your art? That is so important to you."

"Not anymore."

They continued to speak, plead, and attempt to open the door, but Maya ignored it all. She grabbed a box of pastels, and began breaking them one by one. Colorful powder littered her room, and it was almost too cheerful for her taste. The only thing that made it better was the littered wood, paintings, and broken pencils scattered all over her room. And with each thing she destroyed, she mentally screamed as she thought of every single thing wrong with her life.

A purple pencil; the stupid fight with Riley.

A drawing of a butterfly; the stupid texter.

Her paintbrushes; Shawn. Her mother. Lucas.

Painting of a sunset; the art museums.

Maya paused her art massacre to walk over to her mirror. She lifted it above her head, and stared at herself for one long moment.

Her insecurity...

She dropped the mirror.

The glass shattered into crystal filaments, scattering in – to her – slow motion. They bounced in between the paintings and pencils, giving the area a look of sparkly ash and dust. Like the leftover actions of an erupting volcano, it left behind embers and smoky remnants of its former destruction.

She collapsed into the glass, ignoring the painful cuts and scratches she felt as she did so. The two adults outside of her room were frantic now, as they heard the sound of glass shattering. It didn't reach her ears though, all she heard was the echo of the cracking, and the rips of old paintings. Now she felt hollow, bereft. There was nothing left, nothing she could do, nothing she wanted. Nothing really mattered anymore.

"Maya?" A voice asked from her window.

Shoot, she had forgotten the window.

If she had the strength to look up, she would have seen the concern laced with panic on the voice's owner's face as they took in the destruction she was sitting in the midst of. The window slid open, and they entered and walked carefully through the debris to her.

"What are you doing?"

She stared at a piece of glass by her foot. It seemed lonely there, away from all the rest of its kind. She started to reach for it, but was interrupted.

"Maya!" The voice's owner gripped her shoulders tightly, sounding concerned.

She knew that voice, but who cared? It probably didn't care about her either.

"You're scaring me." The voice was closer now, as if the person had crouched beside her, careful to avoid the glass.

There was a half of a painting of a purple flower near her left hand. It sure was a pretty color, she thought.

The voice grew frustrated, and she felt her head being turned toward it. Oh, she knew that face, she realised, before dismissing it. He didn't care either.

"Maya, what is this?" Lucas looked deeply into her shattered blue eyes.

"Glass, stupid." She whispered hoarsely.

He brushed his thumb against a small cut on her ankle. It probably stung, but she couldn't tell. She couldn't feel much of anything. And then, he lifted her as gently as he could, and moved her over to an untouched part of the room. Maya stared wistfully at the glass on the floor...she wanted to sit back there again. She felt like she belonged there, a broken piece among broken pieces.

"It's going to be okay." Lucas said softly, and tugged her towards him.

She knew the gesture was meant to comfort, but she couldn't react, couldn't summon the desire to cry, which, she half-thought, he probably expected. There was no room in her heart to. All that was left was anger, hurt, bitterness, and the feeling of being completely shattered. Lucas didn't say anything, just held her, and stroked her hair slowly and comfortingly.

The unease peace they settled into was broken by a sudden harsh sound from the door. It repeated, once, twice, before the sound of wood giving in. It was Shawn; he had broken the lock. the sound of heavy furniture shifting reached her ears. She didn't even lift her head, but Lucas was observing what was happening with some surprise. He hadn't even noticed the bed and dresser blocking the entrance. Shawn's chest rose and fell heavily, but he crossed quickly to Maya, her mother cautiously making her way over as well. The man didn't even glance at the floor but she looked wistfully at every little piece of broken something. It took her awhile: there sure was a lot of it.

"What the hell, Maya?"

Lucas grimaced, remembering he had said those exact words to her before. He also knew it wasn't what she needed to hear right now, but he sure as heck wasn't going to tell such a furious Shawn that.

"Baby girl, why?" Her mother said softly, finally reaching her daughter who still had her face mostly buried in his shirt.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Shawn asked, as if he had only now noticed Lucas, who squirmed a little under his narrowed eyes.

"I came to check on her, and found this." He used his free hand to gesture to the room. "I figured it was best to just come in."

"You thought it was okay to just come in her room?" The older man's voice was full of warning.

"Shawn," Ms. Hart placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Not important right now."

He took a deep breath, glared at him one more time, and then turned his attention back to Maya.

"Kid, you got like 3 seconds to explain."

She didn't want to. It was comfy and safe with Lucas, and he hadn't yelled at her which was nice. Wait, since when had Lucas become a safe place? The thought jolted her back to reality, and Maya mentally cursed. She had let him in, and she hadn't even realized it...just another mistake to add to her mental list.

That was what gave her the strength to pull herself away, and face the two angry and concerned adults standing above her.

"I have nothing to say," she said, unaware that loneliness was clouding every part of her face.

"You better," Shawn declared and crossed his arms.

"Shawn." Her mother sounded on the verge of tears. "This isn't helping."

"I'm sorry Katy," he said, "but I get a little worried when someone I care about is acting like this!"

She leaned into him. "I know. She's my daughter, remember?"

"Sorry." He glanced down apologetically at the woman beside him, then down at her daughter.

Maya looked away from their conversation, and back up at Lucas. He didn't smile, but held her a little tighter.

"Aren't you going to yell at me, now?" she whispered tiredly.

"Not yet, Shortstack," he said quietly.

She wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but was still mildly comforted.

Shawn took a deep, calming breath before speaking again. "Let's try this again...what did you do, Maya?"

"I destroyed stuff."

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't matter to me, and I don't deserve it."

"Why?" he asked again, more concerned now.

"Because that's the way life works, Hunter." Maya was starting to feel the sting from her multiple cuts, and she shifted, uncomfortable. "The sky is blue, the grass is green, and life sucks for Maya Penelope Hart."

"That's not completely true." Shawn sat down on the edge of her bed, pulling her mother down beside him. "You have so many good things in your life."

"Like what?" She asked bitterly.

"You have a roof over your head, a wonderful mother who loves you, amazing friends, a talent for art, and those are just a couple of things."

"I don't have all of those."

"Why not?"

"My roof leaks, my mother isn't around half of the time, I'm in a fight with the one person I thought I could count on, and I haven't been able to paint for the last 3 months," she listed.

"Maybe your real problem is you," Shawn said bluntly. "You have to stop looking at all the negatives, and find the good, because as it hidden as it may seem it's there."

"I'm not a sucker," she spat. "I'm not going to waste my time trying to be some happy-go-lucky person."

"You don't have to be that," he explained. "But you need to stop wallowing in self-pity like this. This Maya?" he said, gesturing to the mess around them. "This is you going too far. I warned you, didn't I?"

"Didn't ask for your warning, but thanks anyway," she said sarcastically.

"But," he said, ignoring her words and looking at her pointedly. "You can just as easily pull yourself back up again. I'm not saying it's going to be _that_ easy, but it's a very manageable feat, and one I know you can accomplish. Aren't you at all tired of hiding and running away?"

Maya tensed, refusing to herself show any weakness despite his words. "No."

"Liar. Will you please stop for a minute, and just let people help you? Just let yourself have something good? Stop this pity party, and get over yourself."

"It's a little harsh," her mother said, glancing at Shawn, "but it's the truth, Baby girl. We've watched you fall to the wayside for the last couple of months. You won't let anyone in Maya, but you need to realize that the person who's hurting the most in all of this is you, and you can stop that sweetheart. Just let it go. I know you can try better, and live up to your full potential."

Maya swallowed deeply before answering. "I'm not good enough, and everyone knows that. You guys are all just saying that so you can get this problem out of the way." Maya shook her head, and brought her knees to her chest.

"Maya, look at me." Lucas requested, speaking up for the first time in a while. Reluctantly, she did. "You are one of the most capable people I know, and if I had to bet my money on anyone to succeed, it would be you. They're right, just stop fighting and stop letting fear and anger rule your life. I don't want this for you, and as your friend, it hurts to watch you pull away from everything and everyone."

Lucas' words only reinforced the vulnerability that had started to rise the more Shawn and her mother spoke. Maya's whole body – inside and out – felt raw, open, and cold. She felt so exposed, but at least she _felt_ something. Was that going to be enough, though? Would it live up to her friend's expectations? Maya looked around at their faces and bit her lip...was it time?

"Okay," Maya sighed and looked down at her feet. She _was_ tired of this. She would give up, at least for a little while and see what came of it. In that moment she saw the relief and happiness on everyone's faces, and automatically she knew she'd made the right decision. As long as they were happy, she would be okay, right?

Okay was such a small word, one that wouldn't have meant much to anyone, but to everyone in that room it represented so much. They had finally penetrated her mask, even if it was only a little, and now there was hope on the horizon. Maya even thought that she could see a glimmer of it, although it seemed to be hiding behind something disastrous. Something she'd have to get through first…if she could.


	23. Who Likes Who? (Part One)

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed! Please don't forget to REVEIW, and enjoy!**_

 _ **Hey guys, I'm back way sooner than I thought I'd be! I should be able to post on my usual schedule too, thanks to my awesome editor, so enjoy! ;) (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three: Who Likes Who? {Part One}

"What do you usually do for Christmas?" Maya asked, hanging a small ornament on the tree branch.

Lucas rifled through the box of mostly empty newspapers and other decoration wrappings.

"Well, since we got here, my mom and I don't really do much...you know cause family's so far out."

"How come you don't go visit them?" she asked. "Riley goes up to Philadelphia some years to visit her grandparents."

He sighed. "Well, for one, it's not exactly cheap to fly from New York to Texas. And then, my mom doesn't really get along with my Pappy Joe...he's my dad's father."

"Oh."

"Yah."

"Well," Maya continued as she strained to reach a higher branch, and just managed to reach it on her tip-toes. "What was it like back in Texas?"

"You really want to know?" Lucas asked in surprise.

"Yah, I'd love to hear all your Cowboy Christmas stories," she grinned.

"Because that makes me want to tell you." He rolled his eyes, but obliged. "Well, we didn't do much, but that's okay...usually we'd go out and chop down a real tree. It's kind of a tradition, and the guy who owns the lot always gave us a discount. And then, we'd lug it home, where my mama would be waiting with her homemade eggnog and hot chocolate. After that we'd decorate the tree, and watch "The Christmas Carol". I know it's kind of stereotypical."

"Yah, but I think it sounds nice," Maya confessed.

Lucas brightened at that. "It was. Oh, and on Christmas we'd go out to the big hill behind our house and sled down it. Though that was mostly when I was younger, and the hill was bigger."

She laughed, and adjusted a branch. "The closest I've gotten to sledding was sliding down some icy stairs. I actually broke my foot doing that, though."

"You've never sledded?" he asked in disbelief.

"Nope. Just never got around to it; the city's not exactly the best place for hills." Maya shrugged, and hung her favorite ornament; a small painter's palette. Her mother had gotten it for her when she had won her first art show.

"Well, we'll definitely have to remedy that." Lucas smirked, and grabbed the tree topper, something that didn't go unnoticed by the small girl.

"I'll do that one, thank you." Maya said haughtily, and set up the small stool before taking it from him.

He had to suppress his grin, as she climbed up in her wobbly heels, and strained to reach the top. She was close; he had to give her that, but there was no way she'd be able to reach it.

"Would you like some help, Shortstack?"

"No," she answered crossly, and reached her fingertips farther.

He shook his head, and gestured for her to get down.

"For heaven's sake, you're going to hurt yourself," Lucas grumbled as she reluctantly did. He moved the stool aside, while the stubborn girl muttered and crossed her arms.

"But, I want to do it," Maya whined.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, come here."

She looked at him curiously, but did. He lifted her up suddenly. Maya let out a yelp of surprise, and then luckily let her instincts take over; as she placed the star nicely on top. Lucas lowered her gently, and she looked up at him with both annoyance and satisfaction.

"I don't want to hear about it," Maya declared and pointed a finger at him, before she walked to the outlet so she could plug in the lights.

Lucas smiled, and did his hat tip. "If it makes you happy, ma'am."

Maya ignored him, and put the plug into the wall; immediately putting a hand in front of her face to hide the tree from view as she ran to the main light switch.

"I want to see the full effect," she explained, and turned off the lights.

Lucas just smiled, and enjoyed the child like nature she developed this time of year. She really liked Christmas, and it was kind of cute the things she did...it never got old.

Maya ran back to him, and then lifted her hand from her face; a little sigh escaping as she did. It was a _magical_ looking tree, and the lights were beautifully illuminating each ornament; capturing the colors and shadows. It shone brightly in the darkness, and wrapped everything in a multi colored glow that was peaceful and calming.

"It looks good," Maya commented.

"It does. You picked a good one, Clutterbucket." Lucas grinned.

"Oh, yes. Handpicked and selected from Hart's Storage Closet," she leaned in to mock whisper. "It's spectacular."

Lucas laughed. "Okay, whatever. I'm glad you like the tree."

"Yes, I do." She looked at it one last time, before turning her gaze excitedly back to the boy. "Can I have a cookie, now?"

"No! Those are for later, Shortstack."

Maya gave him a mischievous smile, before bolting to the kitchen, a desperate Lucas behind her. They reached the counter, and she plucked a cookie off of the tray, and started to bring it to her mouth.

"Stop!" He snatched it out of her hands. "You can't eat them yet."

"But, I want one."

"You can't just get what you want by whining and begging," Lucas told her and raised an eyebrow.

Maya smirked, and grabbing a fistful of his shirt; brought his face down to hers. His eyes widened, as she practically touched noses with him and they breathed the same air.

"The first rule of winning is not to get distracted," she cried triumphantly, grabbing the cookie out of his fist, and jumping back quickly.

"Maya!" He growled and rubbed his forehead.

"These are pretty good." She nodded, nibbling on the food.

"Go sit down." Lucas pointed to the couch, and she obliged; still smirking.

He joined her, and they sat watching the tree; her feet tucked underneath her and the taste of sugar on her lips. Lucas deviously waited until Maya had one bite of cookie left, before taking it away, and popping it into his mouth. Her jaw dropped, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, that was _my_ cookie."

He licked his lips deliberately, smirking at her.

"You're going to regret that, Huckleberry," she growled.

Lucas raised his eyebrow tauntingly. "And how are you planning my demise this time?"

Maya leaned in just as close as she was before. This time, neither of them pulled apart as she uttered her threats and warnings.

"Slowly, and cautiously...watch your back, Ranger Rick. I'll be there when you least expect it."

Lucas looked into her baby blue eyes, and suddenly the air felt different. There was tension, _thick_ tension, and neither knew what would have happened if her mother and Shawn hadn't come through the door.

"Hey, kid!" he called, as Maya quickly moved back. "Whatcha' up to?"

"Just finishing the tree," Lucas answered, noticing the small girl's odd blush.

What had just happened? Neither of them had a clue; neither of them had any idea why being so close felt so odd today. Instinctively, they knew that the best thing was to forget it; so they tried.

"It looks great, Baby Girl." Ms. Hart praised as leaned over the couch to give her daughter a hug. "How did the baking go?"

"Lucas won't let me have any." Her face returned to its normal color, and she rolled her eyes at said boy.

"And yet, you managed to eat one anyway!" he returned as he threw up his hands in disbelief.

Ms. Hart chuckled, and looped her arm through Shawn's.

"Okay, guys. We're heading out to pick up some last minute things, but we won't be gone too long. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Mom, I'm home alone all the time," she reminded her.

"Not with a boy," Shawn pointed out, narrowing his eyes at him. "In fact, maybe she should come with us."

"Shawn!" Her mother said and nudged him gently.

"Fine, but I'm watching him. Boys are idiots, and definitely can't be trusted."

They left, and Lucas shook his head at Shawn's retreating form.

"I swear he has it out for me."

"Probably." Maya agreed.

He sighed, and sank back into the couch, watching the girl beside him. She wasn't paying him any attention, and was staring down at her clasped hands; a contemplative look on her face.

"Hey, what's going on in your mind, Clutterbucket?"

She glanced up at him. "Nothing much."

"Hmm, and the award for worst actress goes to...Maya!" Lucas cried with a dramatic flourish.

"Shut up, Sundance."

"No, I think I'll keep talking," the boy grinned. "So, are you ready to discuss things now?"

"No."

"It's been 3 days."

"Congratulations, you can count," Maya said and clapped mockingly.

Lucas groaned. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Good, because we need to figure out where you are right now, what happened on Wednesday, and what's going to happen next."

"I was born, I lived, I died." Maya answered. "What more do you need to know?"

"You haven't died yet, Shortstack," Lucas reminded teasingly.

"Ugh. Why do you have to be so pushy?"

"It's what Huckleberries do...now, be quiet and listen. I'm going to be honest with you; after that event, you seem different. And this time, in a good way...I think that was your breaking point, and now that we've reached it, things can start to get better."

"I don't have breaking points." Maya straightened defensively.

"Stop."

His tone was firm, and she knew exactly what he was referring to, and she decided her best option was to oblige Ranger Rick for the time being. So, she stopped.

"What I don't know is what to do now."

"There's nothing to do," Maya shrugged. "Great, so I'm not going to vandalize the art museums anymore. Who cares?"

Lucas froze, and eventually thawed out into a shocked but hopeful expression.

"Wait, do you actually mean that?"

She scowled, and covered her face with her arms. Apparently breaking points came with the baggage of letting things slip...she'd have to be more careful about what she said.

"Maybe," her muffled voice admitted reluctantly.

The boy excitedly lifted her arms off, and stared down at her face.

"Maya, this is huge! This is amazing, I can't believe you're actually—"

She leaned up, and covered his mouth with her hand. "Be quiet now."

"No." He yanked it off, and smiled widely. "Maya, you're getting better."

"Yippee," she said sarcastically.

"Really, this is great!" Lucas couldn't contain his excitement.

"Wonderful."

He ignored her mutterings, and continued his persuasive talk. "Look, if you really stop this, you could get back to being Maya Hart again!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Okay, the thing is, the last couple of months you haven't been yourself...and we all wanted to help you, but we didn't know how. I still think something else was—or is—going on, but you're definitely headed in the right direction despite all the challenges."

"Why do you have to have such an optimistic view on everything?" Maya groaned, and rolled her eyes.

"Because I see hope in the world."

"That's unbelievably cheesy, Cowboy."

"The _point_ is, I see hope for you too." He looked her straight in the eyes. "And if we can get you to feel better about yourself and your life, we can make everything better...Maya, we're all willing to help, and now that you're trying it'll be so much easier."

"Who says I'm trying?" she scoffed, trying not to seem anxious.

Lucas took a strand of her hair in between his fingertips, and glanced pointedly at her puzzled face.

"This does."

"Just because I took the dye out of my hair doesn't mean I'm doing anything different with my life, Huckleberry. Not that there was anything wrong with it in the first place." Maya leaned away from him.

"M-hmm, sure. Two things wrong with your statement; one, changing your hair is a big deal. Especially since it was a shock when you dyed it in the first place...and second, you know there are things going on in your life that are wrong. You've said it yourself."

"Have not."

"Okay, now you're just acting like a child," Lucas pointed out.

"Am not!" she exclaimed in disagreement.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Not another word. Just move on, please," the blonde girl glowered.

The tall boy smirked. "My pleasure. Now, I fully support your decision to stop vandalizing those museums...because if you keep doing it, it won't be bad just for you; it will land you in jail or worse."

"You did it with me!"

"I did it to—"

Maya covered his mouth again, and he rolled his eyes. "How many times are you going to do that?"

"As many as it takes to shut you up permanently, Sundance. So, I'd suggest that you take the hint now." She smiled sweetly.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" he narrowed his eyes, and moved her hand away fully.

She cocked her head. "And yet, you still try to help me."

"Because you're worth fixing, Clutterbucket." Lucas rested his elbow on the arm of the couch. "And, I'm willing to try no matter how difficult it gets...the good news is that it seems to be getting a whole lot easier."

"Well, helpfulness is my middle name!" the small girl announced, lifting a hand in the air.

"No, it's not...at all."

"I thought I told you to shut your Huckleberry-pie-eating mouth."

"I have to keep it open to eat the pie, don't I?"

She scowled. "You're never going to play this right, are you?"

"Not as long as I can help it."

* * *

"I don't want to be here." Maya commented, trudging up to the door.

"She's your best friend; you guys just need to talk it out." Lucas said, his hands in his pockets.

"Easier said than done, Ranger Rick."

"Look, we're here for Christmas, so let's try to have a good time. Your mom is in a great mood, and so is Shawn and the rest of them...don't ruin it with your gloominess, please," he pleaded.

"I don't have gloominess."

Lucas cleared his throat.

"Fine, it's a volcano of annoyance and darkness clouding the surface of the happy world...and it's very close to erupting."

"I thought it already did."

Her face fell, but she maintained her small smile.

"Destroying my paintings was only a tiny piece of the true destruction I can inflict." Maya said light-heartedly. "It's no big deal."

"It is, Shortstack. And you know it," Lucas disagreed softly, looking at her with a little sympathy.

He knew she regretted doing what she did every day. It hurt her a lot more than it did the rest of them, because it was all gone; and she couldn't get it back. In the breaking; she had lost a big portion of herself although she potentially could get it back.

The door opened, and Ms. Hart ushered them inside, wiping her hands on her apron.

"I was wondering where you guys were." She tried not to touch anything else; her fingers covered with flour. "I thought you were just taking a walk."

"We were." Maya answered as if it was the dumbest question she had ever heard.

"A really long one." Mrs. Matthews spoke up, smiling from the counter. "I think that's what your mother was trying to say."

"Oh, well I guess we just got distracted talking and stuff." She shrugged, and walked over to the counter, shaking off snow.

The two mothers exchanged glances, but quickly went back to their food preparation. Lucas finished taking off his outer layers, and crossed over to Maya, sitting next to her at the table. The blonde girl started to sneak a small cookie, but her mother shrieked, and whirled around.

"No! Don't touch those!"

She sighed, and leaned back reluctantly. "What's with you guys, and not wanting to share cookies?"

"What's with you trying to steal the cookies?" Lucas smirked.

"They're good, and no one asked you, Hop a' long." Maya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mrs. Matthews smiled at the two, then turned to her husband, who had just entered the room.

"Cory, how is she?"

He rubbed his forehead. "She's your daughter."

"Hmm, how so?" she asked warningly.

"She won't talk to me!"

"And tell me _how_ that makes her my daughter?"

Mr. Matthews sat down across from the two teenagers, looking fondly at a plate of tater tots. No one else would ever have them at a Christmas dinner, and he knew it was all just for him.

"Because, I want nothing to do with it," he decided, contemplating how sneaky he could be...those tots were calling his name.

"Hmm," she clucked disapprovingly, and turned back to her saucepan. "Oh, and Cory?"

He froze with his hand in mid-air.

"Yes?"

"Don't even think about it."

Mr. Matthews withdrew his hand, pouting, and crossed his arms.

"How does she always know?"

"I know everything," his wife reminded.

"She does," he admitted.

* * *

"Josh?"

He looked up, and raised an eyebrow.

"I need to talk to you." Lucas explained, a dangerous look on his face.

The older boy threw up his hands, and shook his head. "Unbelievable. I need to stop coming to these gatherings; every single time someone needs to "talk to me"."

"Great, well I'm one of them." He gestured for Josh to stand up, and then led him to the front door.

Riley's uncle reluctantly obliged, and they both exited; no one even noticing their absence. Lucas walked a little down the hallway, then stopped at a window; waiting for Josh to catch up.

"Okay, let's hear it Howdy."

He scowled at the name, but began his talk. "When were you hanging out with Maya?"

"Jealous much?" Josh chuckled.

"No. I need to know, because I heard all about your little pranking thing."

"That surprises me," he said, actually looked shocked. "She rarely opens up about anything, let alone something unimportant like that."

"It's _not_ unimportant, because what you were doing was encouraging her to get worse than she already was— _is_. I'm not really sure anymore!"

"Yah, I know," Josh said.

Lucas blinked in surprise. "Wait, you actually agree with me?"

"Look, I know something's up with Maya...I was trying to help her feel better, and I knew that even if we _were_ doing something like that, I would at least be there to protect her."

The younger boy nodded in understanding. "Yah, I get that. She sure hates it though."

They both chuckled; and just like that, the tension in the room fell and the boys developed a silent, mutual agreement. Josh studied Lucas, and leaned against the windowsill.

"So," he smirked. "How long have you liked her?"

"What?" His eyes widened, and the smile fell from his lips.

"Oh, come on. It's so obvious!"

"Uh, I'm not really sure what you're referring to," Lucas answered nervously.

Josh rolled his eyes. "You're jealous whenever I talk to her, you're always defending and protecting her, and I see the way you look at her...I'm not blind, Lucas."

"I don't like Maya like that," The younger boy denied.

"Just admit it. There's no one else out here."

"I don't!"

"I swear you are the most annoying person on the planet...besides her of course." Josh smiled a little. "I just need to hear you say it."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know...indulge me, please."

Lucas inwardly struggled with his options, and none of them looked good. What was he supposed to do in this kind of situation? No one had ever prepared him for these types of things...

"I don't even know you...you can't just butt your head into other people's business." Lucas folded his arms.

Josh disagreed. "I think I can...at least, I can't help it. It's a Matthews trait after all, and the gene was passed along to me as well."

The younger boy muttered something under his breath, and Josh leaned in; smirking a little.

"What was that?"

"IlikeMayabutitdoesn'tmatterbecauseit'snoneofyourbusinessandshewon'tlikemelikethatandI'mnotevensureifthat'showIreallyfeelbecausewe'reonlyinhighschoolsandallofthiscouldactuallybewrong." He blurted out; rambling for a good thirty seconds.

"Somewhere in there, I heard a confession," Josh smiled triumphantly.

Lucas looked down; suddenly very interested in his sneakers. Why was he so shy about this? He was acting like a complete wimp, and it was just him telling another guy who he liked. Who the heck cared? He did! Gosh, was he so stupid...it was Maya, after all, and he cared about her. Lucas wasn't sure how quite yet, but he knew he needed her to be in his life. Even if she never liked him, and nothing ever happened.

"Look, Friar. I know you may be in high school, but I know a good thing when I see it; and she's a darn good one...don't lose her."

"I have no intention of doing so," Lucas said solemnly.

"Good."

He sighed, and fiddled with a button on his shirt.

"I'm guessing you heard about the triangle?"

Josh raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic, but obliged the younger boy. "I did...at least a little bit."

"Well, we basically decided to dissolve the whole thing, and move on...I honestly don't know if I could have picked. But, now it's been over half a year, and I can't help my feelings. It's so stupid, and again, I don't know if they're sincere but I really do think I like her. I don't want to cause any problems though; especially in our friendships, and especially not in hers and Riley's. I couldn't live with myself if I was the cause of them fighting."

"Don't worry about it, Lucas. That's my advice." Josh clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Do what you think is best, but don't push...you'll know when and how to do what you want. But, don't try to get rid of your feelings, because you won't be able to do it. And everything will just get worse; trust me."

"You're saying I have to tell her?" Lucas raised a worried eyebrow.

"I would highly recommend it. Don't rush it though but don't take too long. When things stew for a while, they tend to come out all at once, and never with good results," Josh warned.

"Good to know," he sighed.

Oh, things were just too complicated right now…and it wasn't even 2017 yet.


	24. Who Likes Who? (Part Two)

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy!**_

 _ **So, the new updates are up! Well, some of them...So far Chapters 1-2 have been revised and put up on the website! Go check them out! ;) (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four: Who Likes Who? {Part Two}

They glanced between the two girls, and then back at each other. Could they help them? Or would they just make things worse by getting involved? Neither of the girls would even look at one another, and even though everyone else laughed and chatted; they all felt the tension between them. And the mothers of said daughters were getting a little frustrated and confused...they didn't even know _wh_ _y_ they were fighting for heaven's sake!

"So, Riley," Ms. Hart smiled at the dejected brunette. "How is school?"

"Good." She perked up a little; grateful that someone was finally talking to her. "I just finished my art project, and can't wait to see what grade I get!"

"What art project?" the woman asked, looking pointedly at Maya after doing so.

"You didn't do it, did you?" Lucas noticed the exchange, and rested his head in his hands.

Maya shrugged. "I forgot."

"How could you just forget?" He lifted his head incredulously. "You had like 2 months to do it!"

"I was busy." She played with her piece of pie. "Besides, I thought it was due before winter break."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her mother spoke up, leaning on her elbows. "I thought you said you had forgotten about it?"

The blonde girl glared at her before directing her attention back to the boy beside her, who was now speaking.

"We were allowed an extension if we really needed it," Lucas explained. "Hopefully you can get your project done in a week."

"Piece of cake," she shrugged, and licked some whipped cream off of her fingers.

"Maya, you need to stop doing this."

"Why does it matter? As long as I get it done, who cares?" the small girl asked; visibly irritated.

"Because—"

"You know what? Never mind; it was more of a rhetorical question, Sundance...I'm done talking about this."

"I agree," Auggie spoke up, looking bored. "No more school talk until break is over!"

"Listen to the kid." Maya pointed at him. "He knows what he's saying."

"Yes, I do. And as the kid, I say we open presents now!"

"I thought we already did that," Riley said quietly from the other end of the table.

Mrs. Matthews began to gather everyone's plates and forks; stacking them neatly and orderly in her arms.

"We did, but that was as a family. Usually, everyone has some gifts to exchange."

"Do we have to?" Riley asked.

Her mother turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Since when don't you want to open gifts?"

"Never mind." She shook her head, and sighed.

The rest of them ignored her odd behavior and made their way to various couches and chairs. Once Mrs. Matthews had finished, she joined her husband on the sofa, and gestured for them to start.

It was a small, cheerful gathering, and everyone was enjoying themselves despite the awkward tension between the two girls. They didn't talk, but it was still pleasant...until it came time for them to exchange gifts.

"Okay, thanks for that Cory." Mrs. Matthews said sarcastically, gesturing to the gag gift she had unwrapped. "You're lucky you already got me something...now, Riley it's your turn to give Maya something."

The brunette's bright smile faded as she turned from Josh, to look at her mother, then nervously at Maya.

"What's wrong, honey?" Her mother asked, growing concerned.

"Ididbgaternyting." She mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Mrs. Matthews," Maya spoke up, equally solemn. "I think what Riley is trying to say is that she didn't get me anything. Which is perfectly fine, because I didn't get her anything either."

Everyone exchanged worried and frantic glances. How serious was this fight?

"Maya, did you seriously not get Riley anything?" Lucas asked, his arm resting comfortably on his knee.

"Nope. And I don't see how it's any of your business, Ranger Rick," the blonde said lightheartedly, though it seemed awfully forced to him.

"It's not a big deal, Lucas." Riley chimed in, still not glancing at her best friend. "Don't worry about it...Maya and I certainly don't care."

"Right, and I think—"

"Let's just leave it alone, okay?" Josh interrupted, warning the younger boy. "It's their fight."

Lucas narrowed his eyes at him, but conceded reluctantly. Josh was certainly getting on his nerves lately...

"Fine, let's move on." He grabbed a package by his foot, and handed it to Maya. "Here you go, Shortstack."

"Oh, gosh. You didn't have to spend money on me, Huckleberry." She was hesitant to touch the present.

"Well, I did; just like I do every year."

She took the package, and gingerly opened the wrapping; taking care not to rip a single piece. Josh watched with some amusement, leaning forward on his legs.

"You know it's just paper, right?"

"Never seen her open a present?" Lucas smirked from the floor.

"Just never really payed attention."

"Yah, well she does this every time." He pointed to her.

Maya had finally finished unwrapping the paper, but now her attention was focused on the gift.

"Wow."

"I thought it could be a good replacement." Lucas whispered, low enough that only she could hear, but it didn't look weird to anyone else. "Do you like it?"

She nodded, and carefully lifted a paintbrush; running the soft bristles over her hand. Maya was touched, and also a little scared that he knew exactly what she needed and liked. Yes, it was an obvious choice, but a carefully calculated one.

"Thanks, Sundance."

That's all she was going to say about it.

* * *

"Come with me."

"Why?" Maya asked baffled, holding a carrot halfway from her mouth and the plate.

"Because I need to talk to you." Farkle said impatiently.

"Ugh, fine." She turned to Lucas. "I'll be back soon, Huckleberry."

He merely waved a celery stick in the air; his mouth full of food. The other boy grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to the side; away from any prying ears.

"What's going on, Robot?" Maya asked, a little irritated.

"I'm done with the secrecy, and I just need to know." Farkle answered bluntly.

"Know what?"

"Do you like Lucas?"

Maya choked on her carrot, and he handed her a glass of water.

"Why would you think that?" she asked once she had recovered.

"Because I've been watching you, and observing. That's what scientists do, you know." He leaned against the counter.

"That's creepy is what it is," Maya scoffed. "And the answer is no."

"Liar."

"If you thought you already knew the answer, why'd you drag me over here?" the blonde girl asked irritably.

"Because I wanted to hear you admit it," Farkle revealed with a slight grin.

"Well, I don't like him...sorry to burst your bubble."

"Get over yourself, please," he said, a little harshly. "There's nothing wrong with liking a boy."

"Yes, actually there is."

"Please, enlighten me."

"First off, you can get way too attached, and then when they dump your sorry butt you're going to be broken. And then you have to deal with a stupid, high school crush heartbreak that will lead to more trust issues than you already have...not to mention that he will never like you like that, and it could ruin great friendships."

"Don't forget letting him into your life...and opening yourself up," Farkle smirked.

"Shut up. I'm not talking about me." Maya scowled.

"M hmm, okay sure...because none of that pertained to your life in any way."

She growled, and slammed her palm against the side of the counter.

"I'm so stupid, it's unbelievable."

"Maya," Farkle moved her away from the marble. "It's okay to let people in."

"No, it's not." Her broken blue eyes met his, and her next words were completely honest. "I'm going to get so hurt from this...and I'm going to hurt Riley in the process."

"She doesn't like him like that, remember? She told you."

"How much of that do you actually believe, Farkle?" Maya asked and crossed her arms. "She's hiding it really well. After all, she learned from the best."

"Why do you naturally assume she's hiding her feelings? Can't people just be sincere?"

"No...I've already learned that very often they're not."

Farkle deftly switched topics. "Which is why you're so hesitant to admit your feelings for Lucas."

Maya gave him the death glare, but he didn't back down; instead just staring into her eyes with an annoying pleased expression on his face.

Was this the part where she was supposed to admit everything, and everyone was hunky dory? Isn't that how every book and movie played out? Forget that...she was Maya Hart, and she certainly didn't live in a fairy-tale world.

"No...I just don't want him or anyone else knowing everything about me." She decided to answer.

"Fine, whether or not you admit it; I know the truth," Farkle smiled. "You can't hide everything Maya Penelope."

Well, she'd certainly done a pretty good job of it so far...or so she thought. Apparently, she needed to work on her mask, because with her breaking point, it had cracked further. Maya knew she was going to get better, because she had seen the hope; even if it had only been for a minute. But that didn't necessarily mean she was going to change completely though; she wasn't ready to give up on her mask just yet.

* * *

"Can you believe it's been a year?" she whispered.

"No. Time flies by so quickly." Lucas shook his head, and leaned on the railing.

"We were standing right here, weren't we?" Maya ran her finger over the rough concrete. "And then the whole thing with Riley happened."

He nodded, and gazed up at the bright stars; his breath creating miniature puffs in the chilly air.

"You know, we've never actually discussed it."

"I'm aware."

"Do you think we should?" Lucas asked, and looked down at his smaller companion.

"Why should we?" Maya shrugged, and nervously played with her fingers. "After all, it's been a whole year."

"Because it's important. And I honestly can't believe we just let the whole thing fall to the wayside, and decided to ignore it."

The blonde girl sighed. "Yes, but everything went back to normal, didn't it?"

"I don't think so."

"Why not, Huckleberry?"

"You and Riley are fighting."

Maya laughed bitterly. "I'm sorry, but that has nothing to do with you, Mr. Conceited."

"I'm aware." Lucas answered, his face solemn. "But, you both have some unspoken tension between you two, and it's all because of the stupid triangle that never got solved."

She felt butterflies in her stomach as she looked into his green eyes. Why did that have to happen? Maya knew she needed to stop it but she felt like she was already in too deep. After all, Farkle had figured it out. She knew she had opened up to Lucas, and every time she saw him she just wanted to listen to him. It was scary, disturbing, and frankly a little annoying.

First of all, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Riley, and even though her friend had denied her feelings for Lucas and encouraged them to go the dance together, she wasn't entirely blind. Unfortunately, one of her traits had rubbed off on Riley - the ability to hide things, more specifically big, emotional things. And Maya knew the bubbly brunette was hiding something from her, from Lucas, and from the rest of them...and that wasn't a good thing.

"Go talk to her."

She looked up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"You heard me; go talk to Riley." Lucas had been watching her stare at her best friend for a while. "I don't know what that fight was about, but it can't be that bad."

Maya shook her head. "No thanks, Huckleberry. I'll pass."

"Not an option," he declared and pushed her in Riley's direction.

"But it's 5 minutes to midnight!" she complained.

"Then go spend it with your best friend."

The small blonde girl rolled her eyes, but reluctantly trudged to Riley, who looked up in surprise as she approached.

"Okay," Maya sighed, and sat down next to her.

"Okay, what?" Riley wrapped her coat tighter around her slim body.

The former rubbed her forehead, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

The brunette's face filled with astonishment.

"Really?"

"Yes, Riles." Maya didn't like having to apologize, but for Riley she would.

"Why are you changing your mind all of a sudden?"

"I never did...I just was so angry and hurt, honey," she admitted, fiddling with her friendship ring. "Part of that wasn't your fault."

"Okay, I'm sorry too." Riley grasped her friend's pale fingers, and laced them with her own. "I don't even care anymore, because I miss you so much. I know we tried before, but I'm really, really sorry."

"Me, too."

"Good...now, where is it?"

"Where's what?" Maya asked, completely confused.

"My present, silly." Riley's face was brighter than she had seen for the last week or so. "I know you got me one already."

"I didn't," she said seriously.

Her friend's jaw dropped.

"Really?"

"Wow, Riles. You're easy to play with," Maya smirked, and brought a package from out of her coat pocket.

Her friend's face lit up, and she tore through the paper, unlike a certain Clutterbucket. Maya watched with amusement as her friend threw away the wrapping to reveal...

"Oh, Peaches," Riley beamed, and picked up the small purple cat.

"Yah, I made that before our fight, actually...but it doesn't really matter."

"No, it doesn't," she agreed.

She turned and looked seriously at her blonde friend.

"You were right, though. I was nagging and butting into your business even though I just wanted to help."

"I know. But, I'm glad you're learning not to."

"I'm trying."

"Good."

"So, are we back to normal now?" Riley nudged her shoulder playfully.

"I think so." Maya smiled.

"Yay...because I was getting so tired of sitting in the bay window by myself."

She crossed her right leg over her left one, and nestled deeper into the corner of the bench.

"Well, make sure to give it a great pep talk before I come to make sure it's ready to handle Maya Hart."

"I will!" Riley cried, still clutching her cat tightly.

Maya shook her head, and grinned because she knew that Riley would take her advice literally and go talk to some decorative pillows. At least it meant she was acting like bubbly Riley again...

"So, where's mine?" Maya spoke up.

"What makes you think I—" Riley got halfway through her sentence, and then, slumping in defeat, brought out a small box. "Here."

Maya chuckled, and began to gently untie the pink ribbon, then opening the lid. There, resting in a mess of fluffy cotton, was a beautiful necklace with a couple of meaningful charms on the chain: a paintbrush, a cat, a robot, a cow, and a ballet slipper. Maya picked it up, and curiously examined each one.

"How did you even find some of this?" she asked, fingering the cow.

"Talent!" Riley wiggled her fingers, than excitedly explained her gift. "Now, each one is us...a mess of random things, but looks great together. But, now wherever you go; no matter how hard you try to hide we'll always be right there with you."

"I will definitely think of Lucas, the Cow Lover Boy," she smirked, still poking at the cow.

"You know I meant not just physically, right?"

"Yes, honey."

"I'm so sorry...in fact I don't ever think I've ever been this sorry. It was the stupidest fight ever, wasn't it?"

"Yah, it kind of was," Maya agreed, sighing deeply.

"This has taught us something though. At least one thing, I mean," Riley said and looked up at the stars. "It made it clear how fragile our relationship is. We need to fix that."

Maya nodded. "Yah, we do."

"All's forgotten?"

"Not all, Riles. You know that's impossible...I think the only reason we were able to apologize so easy tonight was because we missed each other so much that we didn't care anymore. But, it's okay; it's just something we need to work on."

They sat in silence for a while, but then fireworks boomed into the air, and Riley and Maya smiled at each other.

"Happy New Year, Peaches," she whispered; laying her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Happy New Year, Honey."

Maya could see Lucas and Farkle smiling from their ends of the roof, and in that moment, everyone seemed content. She was, and she knew for sure Riley seemed to be...

That left her with one real question. If everyone seemed so content, why did 2017 seem to be a dark cloud looming over all of the hope on the horizon?


	25. In With the Old, and Out With the New

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited. Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **Chapter 3 is up, guys! It's pretty different from the original, so I'd recommend checking it out. (The post fight scene is changed, at least). I'm currently working on Chapter 4, so some of the small details in Chapter 3 will not completely match, just so you know...**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five: In With the Old, and Out With the New

"Did I mention I really like your hair?" Riley asked as she reached up her hand and smoothed the blonde curls.

"Ugh, yes honey. About 50 times today, actually," Maya grumbled. She took her fingers off, but her friend continued to stroke her head regardless.

"It makes me happy, Peaches!"

"That's great...can we go to class now?"

"Since when do you want to go to class?" The brunette wrinkled her nose.

"Since you won't stop touching my hair," Maya snapped. She grabbed her friend's wrist, and tugged her toward the door.

"But it means you're getting better!"

"I don't want to talk about that," she said firmly.

"Why?"

"Because, Riles, I don't...and I'm going in with or without you," she finished, releasing her hand and walking into the classroom.

Riley reluctantly followed the blonde, then made her way to her seat though still staring at her best friend. She was so happy that Maya seemed to be getting better, but it sure was a hard journey. She knew that she had to remember it wasn't going to get better all of a sudden, and that she had to be patient. But, boy, was this one of the hardest things to be patient for.

Maya sighed, dropped her books on her desk, and plopped into her seat. Automatically resting her elbow on Lucas's, she then noticed the edge of something white underneath the pile of books. Tugging it out, she saw that it was an envelope. Looking around, she slipped the paper out of it, then opened it quietly below her desk. It was a letter...surprise, surprise. There was something else inside the envelope too, but she chose to read the note first.

 **X:** _That's cute… you think you can just go back to being "the Maya Hart" again. The one who doesn't care about anybody else…the cool one. But, the truth? That was never you and it never will be. So why pretend? Here's a reminder of who you really are._

She raised an eyebrow, and lifted the object out of the envelope discreetly. Oh.

"Peaches?"

Maya jerked her head up, startled. She gave her friend a small smile.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she lied brusquely.

"Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Maya shrugged, and tried to move the object further out of view, but Riley picked up on the movement.

"What's that?"

"Nothing," The blonde hedged, and donned an indifferent expression.

"Yah, right. Let me see it." She leaned forward, and tried to grab it from her hand.

"Stop that!" Maya shrieked, and shrank away. There was absolutely no way she could let Riley see it, but it didn't really help as she persisted.

Lucas walked into the scene with a confused face, and a cautious approach. He sat down behind the blonde, then carefully asked his questions.

"Uh, what are you guys doing?"

"Maya has something, and I need to see it," Riley answered, straining to reach her hand.

"Isn't that her business?" he reminded gently.

"Yes, it is. Listen to Huckleberry," Maya grunted, as she leaned even further away from her friend.

"No!" Riley lunged forward suddenly, actually rising out of her chair. The blonde yelped and flinched, losing her balance and falling off her seat in the process.

Maya hit her head hard, and lay in a daze for a minute watching the interesting constellations on the school ceiling. She vaguely heard Riley's triumphant voice intermixed with the sound of a chair scrapping before she saw Lucas's concerned face leaning over her own.

"Maya, are you okay?" he asked, his tone a mix of worry and mild amusement as if he hadn't realized she had hit her head.

"Fine," she whispered, still trying to blink the stars out of her vision.

"You need some help?" Lucas asked, holding out a hand.

Maya shook her head, and pain sprouted from the back of her head.

"So...are you going to get up now?"

No, she thought, it was really nice down there, and moving more would probably cause the pain to increase.

"Maya?"

A nap would be nice...maybe the pain would just go away if she fell asleep.

"Um, you need to get up now. Mr. Matthews is here." Lucas glanced up at their curious teacher, then back down at the girl on the floor.

He offered her his hand again, and pulling herself out of her drifting thoughts, she made the conscious effort to grab it and lift herself up. Maya stumbled a little bit, and she managed to stand, but immediately she grew dizzy. She would have fallen over, except Lucas was able to grab her around the waist.

"Mr. Friar?" Mr. Matthews asked, walking over to the two.

"I don't know, sir." Lucas said, answering the unvoiced question as he looked at her. He was now worried, taking in her slow blinks and the way she was slumping slightly against him. He tried to steady her. "I think I should take her to the nurse, if that's okay with you."

"Peaches?" Riley intoned, her eyes widened. She started to get up as well, finally realizing that Maya had not been just playing around.

Maya shook her head, ignoring the wave of dizziness it caused, and waved them off in what was more of a flapping gesture.

"I'm fine. Just hit my head a little."

"It seems like a lot more than a little," Lucas said grimly. "We need to take you to the nurse."

"No."

"Yes," he countered and sighed. "I'll be back, sir."

Mr. Matthews furrowed his brow, and nodded his consent. Riley tried to follow, but was stopped by a stern shake of her father's head.

Lucas held Maya close to his side, and half-walked, half-carried her out the door and into the hallway. She muttered in protest, but didn't make any actions to stop it. They eventually reached the office with little resistance, and she slumped into a chair.

"I hate you," Maya reminded, closing her eyes.

"I know."

One of the workers came up, and asked a few questions; Lucas did all the talking while Maya sat in silence. At some point the nurse came over, and she was transported to a smaller room.

"I'll to check for swelling," she said and smiled at Maya. "But if you just fell off a chair like your friend said, a concussion seems a little unlikely."

"She had a hard time getting up, and she was wasn't responding normally, ma'am." Lucas pointed out. "How is it unlikely?"

"Don't worry. She probably just hit her head pretty hard, and it takes a little while for the brain to recuperate. It's not that big of a fall," Mrs. Parks explained, checking Maya's vision, "so, she may just end up with a nasty knot on her head."

"Yah, Sundance. It was just a little fall," Maya repeated. She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a wince.

"Yes, but you hurt your head," Lucas reminded patiently.

"I'm aware," she said wryly.

"Okay, so I'm going to see if I can find the bump...if there is one." The nurse winked at her. "Can you tell me where it hurts?."

Maya glanced at Lucas, and then reluctantly pointed to a spot on the back of her head. The nurse gently probed it, and the blonde grunted in pain.

"Found it!" She chuckled a little. "It's not too bad, so we can just put some ice on it, and I would suggest laying down for a little bit. I'll let your teacher know...young man, do you need a note?"

"No. Is it okay if I stay?" Lucas asked.

"You don't have to, Huckleberry. I'm not going anywhere," Maya sighed, resting her sore head on the crinkly paper of the bed. "You really need to stop doing this."

"Doing what? Being there for you?"

"No, being clingy."

Mrs. Parks interrupted with a knowing grin. "Just let him be, Ms. Hart. Good friends are a rarity."

"Hear that, Clutterbucket?" Lucas smirked. "I'm a rarity."

"Oh, gosh. Shut up, Ranger Rick." The corners of her mouth turned up involuntarily though.

"Alright, I'll be back in a little while with the ice pack. Let her rest if she's feeling dizzy or tired again, okay?" The nurse instructed as she turned to Lucas, one hand on the doorknob.

"Okay."

"Great." She smiled, then closed the door gently behind her.

Lucas leaned back in the hard, plastic seat and watched the small girl shift to gaze at him as well.

"What?" Maya asked crossly.

"Nothing..." He shrugged.

"No, really. What?"

The boy fidgeted briefly before deciding to clasp his hands together casually.

"What was it?" he asked carefully.

"What was what?"

"The thing Riley wanted to see."

Maya rubbed her head, and left her fingers lingering on the developing knot. "Nothing important."

"That's a big, fat lie."

"It wasn't!" she protested.

"Then what was it? Even if it wasn't important, it was still _something_ _,_ " he insisted.

"Fine." The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "It was a report card."

"Okay..." Lucas raised an eyebrow. "What's the big deal?"

"Nothing. Weren't you just listening?"

"I mean, why did you make such a big deal about hiding it from Riley?"

Maya stared at him with contemplative blue eyes, while she pursed her lips, and moved to fiddle with her friendship ring.

"Do you really care, or—"

"No," Lucas interrupted. "I don't want to hear that. You know I do, so stop with that."

"You're not making a very convincing argument, Ranger Rick."

He contained his impatience. "Answer the question, Shortstack."

"Because I'm stupid," Maya blurted out.

"What?" He drew back, baffled by her sudden bluntness.

"You heard me," she grated out. The dizziness was returning with the emotions coursing through her veins and she closed her eyes tightly. "I'm stupid."

"Maya, you're not stupid."

The pain in her head was starting to make itself known stronger once again.

"Why do you think that?" the boy asked.

"Because of my grades. Because I fail every class. Because teachers hate me, and students laugh. Because—"

"You're not dumb," Lucas said firmly. He got up from the chair, and crouched next to her. "I know you're not."

"How could you possibly know something like that, huh?" she asked, opening her eyes to look at him. "Don't you think I'd know myself?"

"Not right now, Shortstack."

She attempted a glare.

"What?"

"You don't know who you are right now, because you lost yourself when you stopped being Maya. Now, your job is to fix that...because you're ready to start fresh again."

"Okay, Moral Compass, what's your point?"

"I know what you're capable of. You're not stupid; you just aren't trying hard enough."

"Well, maybe I'm just incompetent in math, ever think of that? 'Cause who needs to know _y=3x+0.8_? Oh, that's right - no one."

"Not exactly the point, but tell you what; we can study together if you want. That way I can help you if you need it, and maybe I can prove to you that you're not stupid," Lucas suggested.

"Ugh, but only if you buy me a smoothie whenever we do." Maya bargained.

"I'm the one who's helping you."

"And...?"

"Wow. Fine, whatever you want." Lucas threw up his hands, and walked back to his seat.

"Good," the small girl said smugly. "Now, I want to do something because I'm bored."

"Unbelievable! You're here because you hurt yourself. You're supposed to be resting."

"So?"

"Doesn't your head hurt?" he prodded.

"No."

"Liar."

"Stop calling me that!" Maya scowled.

"Then stop saying things like that. Admit right now that your head hurts."

"You know what? I'm just fine, and I'm going to prove it to you."

She sat up, ignoring the wave of dizziness that clouded her vision, and slid off of the bed. She attempted crossing over to the door; she made it about 3 steps before she faltered, and had to brace herself against a shelf.

"You're beyond ridiculous," Lucas said as he shook his head, and guided her back to where she had been.

"Shut up."

"Whatever, Clutterbucket." He helped her lay down on her side, then perched on the edge of the bed. He leaned down to look her straight in the face. "Now, tell me. Does it hurt?"

Maya narrowed her eyes, and made an odd growling noise in the back of her throat. "Yes. Happy?"

"No, but I hope this was a lesson to you."

"How was this a lesson?" the blonde groaned.

Lucas grew solemn. "I need you to know you don't have to hide everything."

"It's not that easy, Sundance," she admitted, blinking slowly.

"I'm not saying it is...I'm saying you need to stop."

She rolled onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling. Lucas waited for her to decide how she was feeling; he sat there for a good 10 minutes, just watching her twiddle her thumbs. Finally, she broke the silence, and cleared her throat.

"I'm bored again."

"And what are you going to do about it?" He gave her a small smile.

Maya breathed heavily. "Green."

"Where?"

"Over there, beside the filing cabinets." She pointed to a miniature figurine of the Statue of Liberty.

"Do you want me to go first this time?"

"Sure."

He fixed his gaze on the figurine. "Okay...so, this one is about the forest. I was about 10 years old, and I was a boy scout—I don't want to hear anything about it, Ms. Hart—and we were going on our annual camping trip. I don't even remember how, but somehow I got lost on our hike, and wandered off to look at something."

"Probably an interesting cow," Maya cut in, smirking a little.

"And I was out there for a couple of hours, obviously panicking because I had absolutely no idea where I was." Lucas continued, naturally ignoring her. "But, I stopped by this cliff, and found another kid my age sitting down. I walked over to him, and he told me he was watching the river down below...it was Zay. I asked him if he was lost, and he told me he wasn't _completely_ lost."

"And there's Zay for you...not lost, but oh so lost," Maya laughed.

"Anyway, I asked him to explain, and he ended up telling me he had wanted to be alone so, he purposefully got lost, and ended up here. Zay was still weird back then... After that, I guess you know the rest. He ended up finding the way back to camp and we became friends."

"How?" the blonde asked curiously.

"He was the only 5th grader with a cell phone," Lucas chuckled. "But, I'm sure glad he had one."

Maya rolled her eyes; much to her head's dismay.

"Cute story, Huckleberry."

"Thanks, your turn."

Maya glanced at the statue once more as if to confirm its color, before returning her gaze to the ceiling. "I was 5 years old...can you guess what day that was?"

"The day your dad left," Lucas said automatically, already knowing that face she got when she mentioned her father.

"Yah..." She nodded, her eyes moving restlessly. "Anyway, my mom was crying that night, and I remember climbing into bed with her and trying to stop it—although of course I couldn't—but she tried to stop for me. And that night she told me we were going to be fine, and we didn't need anybody else besides each other. I have a love-hate relationship with that memory..."

"Why?"

"Because it's a sad one, but it was a bonding experience for me and my mom. Sure, it didn't seem to last long, but she's getting better...and at least she stayed." Maya glanced at Lucas's thoughtful green eyes.

"And the color?"

"The blanket...she used to have this beautiful green one, and whenever I think about that memory, I immediately picture that in the scene."

He nodded, and contemplated the new information he had just been given. He wasn't going to lie, her life sucked, but she could still pull out of that trap. Maya had always been so fierce, and she had reached her breaking point but he knew she was going to bounce back just like she always did. And if he could help her in any way, he would.

But he understood it was going to take some time, because life had handed her a whole heap of trouble, and it was going to take a while to clear it out. Maya _could_ do it though, he had no doubt; the struggle was going to be getting her to believe in herself and her abilities.

Lucas glanced over at her small frame, and smiled as her chest rose evenly, her breath soft. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she had tucked herself into a tiny ball. Why was it that short people always curled up when they were the ones who could use the most space? It didn't matter to him though, because it sure was cute...

She was cute.

* * *

It was true, naturally. She was trying to go back to being Maya again, and failing miserably. But how did that person know exactly what notes to send when she was feeling the worst?

Maya surveyed her appearance in the hated mirror, and ran her fingers over the rough fabric of her ripped jeans. Then her hands moved to her worn t-shirt, the casual jacket, and choker.

Was this her? Was this Maya Penelope Hart? The person didn't think so...and to be honest, neither did she. This was what she had worn today, and Riley had been thrilled; but obviously there had been mixed reactions. And she didn't know what to do now... It was an interesting crossroads she was at, but an important and potentially deadly one.

"Baby girl?" Her mother knocked, and poked her head in.

"What did I tell you about the barging in thing, mom?" Maya sighed, and turned away from her confused reflection.

"I'm sorry, honey," She said, not really sounding apologetic at all. "But, on a happy note, we're going out for dinner tonight!"

"That's weird." Her daughter raised an eyebrow, and picked up a stray notebook on the ground.

"How come?"

"Um, maybe because the last time we did that was almost a year ago, and it's expensive."

"Well, I have some exciting news to tell you!" Her mother smiled eagerly.

"Why can't you just tell me now?" Maya sighed, and plopped onto her bed.

"You're telling me you don't want pasta?" she asked with a slight smirk.

"Noooo..." the blonde said hesitantly. "I'm saying it's unusual."

"Nothing wrong with that...ready to go?"

"I guess."

* * *

"So are you going to tell me, or just discuss homework until I literally pass out from boredom right here?" Maya asked, and dunked her straw in and out of the water.

"You're eager," her mother smiled between bites of spaghetti.

"Yes. Eager to end the conversation about chemistry."

"Okay fine, but I still think it's an interesting subject. Now, I hope you won't take this news negatively, but here goes." She leaned back, her eyes sparkling.

"Not exactly a great convincing point, mom—"

"...I got a new job."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "That was abrupt."

"Abrupt? Who cares? I got a better job, Baby girl!" her mother beamed.

"That's great," she admitted. "What is it?"

"You're looking at the new manager of the Nighthawk Diner!"

"So...does that pay better?" Maya asked cautiously, obviously not pleased with the news that her mother was still working at the same place.

"Yes, and better hours too!" She reached across the table and tucked a strand of Maya's hair behind her ear. "That means I get to spend more time with you, Baby girl."

"That's nice," she said slowly.

"M-hmm. And we get to do stuff like this more often!"

"Mom, don't waste your money on me and treating us. We've gotten along just fine for 9 years, and it doesn't need to change now."

"I know, Wise One," She teased. "I just want to make sure you get a treat every once in a while."

"I don't need that," Maya affirmed and shook her head.

"I know...but I want to." Her mother winked at her. "Don't worry about it though, okay? Money isn't something I want you to be concerned about."

"I'll try," Maya conceded.

"Good, now how does clothes shopping sound after this?" The older woman asked, changing the subject deftly.

"Unbelievable." She put her head in her hands. "Mom, I don't need any more clothes."

"I know, but you seem to be going back to your old style, and I want to support that."

"Mom, will you just stop—"

"No, and that's final. You, me, clothes shopping after dinner."

Maya sighed, and stuffed a mouthful of noodles into her mouth. She loved her mom, and wanted to spend time with her, but she didn't want to be a burden and make her mom spend money just for her. She had to convince herself that this was a good idea, and even then an odd feeling of doubt and concern crept into her mind. This was great news; so why was she skeptical? Oh, wait, she knew. It was because she had a bad feeling that it wasn't going to turn out well, and her mother was going to end up crushed. And who was going to be left to pick up the pieces? That's right; Maya Hart, her daughter. Because nothing good could last right? _That_ was her inner struggle right now, even if she didn't quite grasp the whole part herself. Her mind told her it was okay to see hope, while her heart wallowed in doubt and fear.

But, she was done thinking about that...better to leave it for later, right? Right, she was always right. Maya took a bite of her cheesecake, and imagined her thoughts disappearing along with it down her throat.

If only it was that easy.


	26. Needing a Vacation

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited! Please don't forget to REVIEW, because even any little comment would be much appreciated! ;)**_

 _ **Chapter 4 is up, guys! Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six: Needing A Vacation

"...so, the answer is obviously _y=3x-2/3_." Farkle said and scratched the words onto the paper, before he looked up at his friend expectantly.

"That's wonderful, Farkle." Maya groaned, "But I don't understand."

"We learned this _last_ year."

"So? I'm obviously incompetent."

"You're not incompetent, you're just not trying. Maya, I know you can understand this; it's very simple."

"Not for me," she muttered.

"Liar." Farkle turned from the blonde and reaching inside of his backpack, brought out a blue folder. "Look at this, and tell me the same thing."

She pursed her lips. "I'm incompetent."

"Oh my gosh, Maya." Farkle shook his hand, and slapped the folder into her hands. "Look inside."

She rolled her eyes, but opened it, and drew a sheet of paper from its contents. Scanning the page quickly, she looked back up at Farkle.

"Okay. What's this supposed to be?"

"Your homework!" He cried. "Look, you have an A- on this one!"

"How did you even get this?" Maya rifled through the rest of them, a little panicked. "I never even did these assignments, remember? I got detention for it."

"Obviously you did them," Farkle smirked, looking way too pleased with himself. "And you got really good grades, too."

"How did you get these?" she demanded.

"Riley."

The blonde took in a deep breath. "And how did _she_ get them?"

"That information is classified."

"I don't want to hear that crap, Farkle." She was getting angry. "Tell me, now."

"Maya, calm down." He tried not to sound too offended. "I'm your friend, remember?"

"Sorry." She closed her eyes, and focused on slowing her breathing. "Do you have any idea where Riley got these?"

"Not exactly...but, I think she found that one in a recycle bin at her house. She said you guys did some homework thing a while ago, and she was never sure where your work went when you did it at her house...now, she knows. For a couple of them, at least." Farkle admitted.

"Wonderful." Maya muttered, and ran her fingers through her wild hair.

"Why did you do that?" he asked cautiously after a minute of silence.

"Do what?"

"Throw away your work? It's good."

"How did these even get graded?" the blonde asked, finally looking back up at her friend.

"Riley and I did it...we were curious. Look, you say you're not smart, but this just proves that you are. What's going on with you? Why do you do this?"

"I don't know."

"I think you do." The boy got up, and sat down on the couch next to Maya. "Please just tell me."

"Can't I just say I don't know? Maybe I really don't, okay?"

"Not this time."

"How could you possibly know that, Farkle?"

"Because I know you...and I know your mind. You're way more intelligent than you think, and I really want to know why you're denying yourself success."

"I'm not denying myself success," she mocked him with her fingers making air quotes. "I just don't like homework."

"That statement has nothing to do with the topic...whether or not you like homework, you still a, did it, and b, did a good job on it. Why are you throwing it away?"

"Because I know there's no point, okay?" Maya blurted out loudly. "I'm stupid, incapable of anything, too reckless, distracting, a fake, a—"

"Okay, stop right there. Where did you get all that?" Farkle looked surprised, and a little concerned. He had been aware Maya was struggling, but he didn't realize it had to do with self-destructive thoughts too.

"I don't know. My life?" She brought her knees to her chest.

"No, it came from your own mind."

"If you're just going to answer your own questions, why do you even bother asking?" Maya sighed.

"Okay, back on topic please." Farkle redirected.

"Fine, but I don't know what else there is to talk about," Maya conceded, folding her arms.

"Everything! We haven't really discussed anything yet!"

"Yes, we have—"

"Just tell me why you feel this way."

"I can't explain my brain to you, genius," Maya raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not asking for that." Farkle answered, a little impatiently. "What I want is for you to a, realize that you're not stupid, and b, let yourself have good grades! Obviously you can accomplish them, and even though you threw them away, now there's evidence!"

"I just don't want to do it."

"Want to do what?"

"Deal with it all...Farkle, don't you get that even if I did well in school for a while, it would all eventually go downhill, and end up worse than before?"

"Is that what you really think?"

"Yah, that's how my life goes." The blonde shrugged, trying to seem indifferent.

"Maya, that's not what's going to happen."

"How can you say that? How can you just believe that everything's going to turn out great?"

"I don't...I just hope." Farkle looked into her eyes deeply. "Don't be afraid to hope. If what's keeping you from doing well in school is your own fear, than you have no one to blame but yourself. The good news is it's also able to be fixed. If you can just acknowledge that you're holding yourself back, you've already made amazing progress towards getting better."

"Well, what if I don't want to be fixed? Because the Maya Hart I remember didn't deserve anyone, and she certainly needed to be careful with how close she got to everyone or else she might just hurt them too."

"Wait a minute." The skinny boy held up a hand. "Is that why you won't admit your feelings for Lucas?"

"Haven't we already had this conversation?" Maya squinted.

"Apparently there's more to the story," he reminded her. "So, is that the other reason you won't tell me you like him? Because you're afraid you don't deserve him?"

"I don't know, Farkle. You tell me; you're the genius." She rubbed her forehead.

"Like you pointed out earlier, I can't exactly read your brain."

"I don't like talking about this."

"Too bad...I'm telling you to open up, and you're going to do it."

"Says who?" The small girl cocked her head warningly.

"Says your friend who's tired of you hiding all of the time. It's so frustrating because we want to help you, but we can't because you won't let us."

"Maybe because I don't need it."

"Maybe you do and you're just incredibly stubborn."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, and gave up. "If that was the reason for staying away from Lucas—which it's not—it would make sense wouldn't it?"

"No. I think you do like Lucas, but it's like Harper was talking about last year. Sense and sensibility...what you _think_ you feel versus _what_ you feel. You're tricking yourself, Maya. You are your own worst enemy."

"What do you mean I think something different than what I feel? That makes no sense." Maya unfolded her legs, and set her feet on the low coffee table.

"You're telling yourself that you need to stay away from Lucas, and it's for the better...that you need to stop him from getting through your defenses. And then on the other hand, your heart knows what it wants, and it's not letting your mind take over."

"I'm not going to tell you you're right," she said stubbornly. "And how do you think that you can just know everything about me?"

"I don't...but I observe, and I know your character. So, yes I'm making a hypothesis, but it's a logical and plausible one," Farkle answered. "Look I get you're not going to tell me anything else, so I'll try to wrap this up...if you can take anything away from this conversation, I hope it's that you need to learn to hope. Don't be afraid to feel, and don't push people away because you're scared...if you can't do it for yourself, do it for your friends. We want you to be happy, Maya."

"Okay, Farkle. I'll try."

"Good...now, I'll let you go back to math; but someday we will discuss this homework thing again."

"Great."

Maya picked up her paper and pencil, and tried to focus on graphing lines, but she couldn't. Because it was in that moment that Farkle had said "do it for your friends", that she realized that was exactly what she had and would do. These last couple of weeks, she had been so much better, right? But, in who's opinion? Her friends; not hers. All of this, she was doing for them; that was the brain part of it, and she was sure her mind was making a concerted effort to be better...

Except her heart was true to herself. Because it knew that she wasn't happy, and no matter how much her physical and mental appearance changed; it was just another layer to heap onto her mask. The hurt, the brokenness, the anger, the fear; it was all lurking deep in her heart far away from prying eyes, and far away from friend's judgments and hurt. Maya wasn't going to be the one responsible for their hurt; just her own. She had plenty of practice in that department anyway, and only one of them needed to be broken, so she was going to be that one...no one else knew, but that was okay. Maya Hart was a silent, broken, loyal girl hiding behind a thick, tough, wild mask.

And that was the cold, hard truth hiding behind a fake, tricky lie.

* * *

"Maya!"

"Hey, Hope." She bent down, and gave the younger girl a hug. "How's your princess kingdom?"

She contemplated the question for a minute, before looking up and beaming at her.

"Sparkly!"

Maya laughed. "Good answer."

"Hey, honey." Joy came up, drying her hands on a towel.

"Hi." She smiled up at her.

"Why don't you come on in?" The older woman gestured to the door. "We have dinner ready."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were cooking dinner...I'll come back some other time."

"Don't be ridiculous." She shook her head. "We'd be happy to have you."

"Yeah!" Hope added. "We're having spaghetti, and princesses love that!"

The blonde complied, and they made their way to the dining room, where Kermit waited. He was sitting in front of some papers, his hand rubbing his forehead and a sigh escaping his lips. At the sound of them entering though, he looked up, and put a forced smile on his face.

"Hey, Maya."

"Hi," she said, surprised at the friendlier greeting.

"Staying for dinner?"

"I guess so." Maya glanced over at his family. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," he nodded, then made a mark on one of the papers.

She awkwardly sat down—at the opposite end of the table—and waited with Hope for dinner to be served. It could have been worse; the little girl was chatting up a storm, mostly about castles and dresses. Her mother finally appeared with a pot and set it down with a big smile on her round face.

"Ready to eat?"

"Yes!" Hope cried, immediately reaching for her plate, and handing it expectantly to her mother. "I've been waiting for a thousand years!"

"That's a very long time," Maya smirked.

"Yup! That's how long princesses sleep and wait for things in the stories."

"I thought it was a hundred years."

"Oh." She leaned back as her mother dished her up some spaghetti. "Well, I'm a special princess!"

"You sure are."

Joy smiled at Maya, and gestured for her to hand her the plate she had.

"You're getting really good with her."

"Thanks," the blonde chuckled. "It's definitely easier now."

Kermit discreetly watched his daughters and wife as they chatted and laughed among themselves. They really seemed to get along well, and he was glad his presence wasn't too much of a wet blanket. That was the last thing he wanted, especially for Maya, whom he was getting dangerously interested in. That wasn't to say he shouldn't be involved in her life; after all he was her father, but he didn't want to hurt her again. That was a mistake he could never take back, and he regretted it although not too much because he had met his wife and now had a wonderful daughter with her. That was why they had named her Hope; for Joy it was a pregnancy that hadn't ended in miscarriage, and for Kermit it was a chance to do better.

So, if he had any opportunity to make up for his loss with Maya, he would take it. Regretfully, he hadn't been very open to her the first time she had come over, but after a lot of thought and discussion, he had tried his best to be friendly. And it had worked...both him and Maya were on agreeable terms currently, even though she still kept her distance from him which was understandable. It was also why they had decided to involve her even more; to get closer and let her know they wanted to get to know her. It was a really risky idea though.

"So..." Joy glanced over at Kermit. "We have a proposition for you, Maya."

"What is it?" she asked curiously, handing Hope a much needed napkin.

"Well, we are going on vacation next month, around the first week in February," he spoke up, chewing his last mouthful of noodle. "And were wondering if you'd like to go with us."

"What?" She didn't even try to hide her shock.

"You definitely don't have to, sweetie...but we thought we'd include you, and we'd love to have you join us." Joy reassured, trying to be gentle.

"Where are you going?" was all she could get out.

"We're going all the way down to California." Joy answered, encouraged by the response. "We have some family down there, and well their beaches are way better than ours."

"That's really far," Maya said, a little surprised. "I don't think I could afford that even if I decided to go."

"Oh, don't worry about that, honey...we'd pay for your ticket."

"I couldn't let you do that." Maya was a little relieved that she had an excuse not to go.

"It would be no trouble," Kermit added, an unreadable expression on his face. "We'd really like you to come with us, and you're part of the family."

"M-hmm!" Hope chimed in her agreement. "We could go swimming, and build sand castles, and collect seashells—"

"We're not going to be spending our whole time on the beach," Joy laughed, and stroked her daughter's hair.

"Okay, well I still want to do that," her daughter shrugged happily, and slurped up a noodle.

"Look," Maya sighed. "You guys are really nice to think of me and all, but I don't really think it's the best idea."

"Sweetheart, we really do consider you part of this family, and it's no trouble."

"I'm not talking about the plane ticket," the small girl answered awkwardly, playing with her meal.

"I know." The husband and wife exchanged looks. "And we understand the hesitations, but I hope you'll at least consider it. Again, we don't want to force you, but it would be nice to spend some time with you."

"Okay," Maya said quietly.

"I want you to know that I've really enjoyed these last couple of weeks, and am glad you ran into Joy and Hope." Kermit leaned forward. "I know I can't erase the past, but I'm hoping we can make the future a little better...just don't be afraid to give it a chance."

Maya met the eyes of her father, and tried not to let her guard down. Was this actually sincere, or was he going to hurt her in the end? Yes, he was right; the time they had spent together had been nice, but she had learned long ago that motives weren't always pure and truthful...and she had already been damaged by him in the past, so she wasn't exactly eager to let history repeat itself. And how did he expect her to just go along with this without any hesitation? He had messed up so badly...and Maya didn't easily forgive and forget. It honestly scared her; the thought of opening herself up to him, and letting him into her life again. That was a very dangerous decision, and one she rarely made. Take Lucas for example; she had unwillingly let him in, and now she was conflicted and confused. She didn't need any more of that, so _if_ she decided to go on this trip and get attached, she'd have to be extremely careful with how far she went. How much she let them see, and how deep she let her own emotions go. Maya would have to safeguard her heart and mind; and that seemed like an extra hassle she didn't need right now.

What she really could use was a talk, which was unusual for her, but she wouldn't let it happen so it didn't matter anyway. Whether or not she admitted it, Maya could use outside input and observations about herself. So, the real question wasn't if she'd let this family in, it was whether or not she'd open herself up. It was also about how sneaky her head was, because right now it had a completely different mind-set than her heart, and it could easily sway her physical decisions. And currently, her heart was winning...there was no way her father was going to hurt her again, and her thick defenses were being put up at that exact moment...but all of the decisions were balancing on a very thin wire, and any push from either side could sway her choices. So, overall? The question was which side was going to win first.


	27. Life Won't Ever Be a Sweet Ride

**_Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, reviewed, and favorited! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
_**

 ** _Honestly, I don't NEED reviews, but I'd love to hear your guy's opinions as it IS my first "published story"...so, if you have any time, it would be much appreciated! Do you think we can make it to 100 reviews before Chapter 30? ;)_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!_**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Life Won't Ever Be a Sweet Ride

"You really don't have to do this, hop a' long." Maya leaned forward, and changed the radio station.

"First of all, don't touch that. You can never actually decide on what to listen to and it's annoying." Lucas briefly glanced over, and swatted her hand away. "And second, I told you I wanted to, and I have no problem teaching you."

"I don't want you to feel obligated to help me," she sighed, relenting on her decision to switch stations.

"I don't, Shortstack. Now let me teach you and accept a gift."

She smirked, and leaned her blonde head against the window. "Okay, will you tell me where we're going?"

"Yes, and actually we happen to already be there." Lucas turned left, and drove into an empty lot.

"So, this is in case I ram into things? At least it won't be people and their cars, right?" Maya laughed, looking over at the boy next to her.

"Exactly," he said solemnly.

"Lighten up, Huckleberry! I won't kill you—yet."

"Oh, yah. That's very comforting," Lucas muttered.

"Okay, let's do some damage!" the blonde exclaimed.

"And—stop. You're not getting off on the right foot, Clutterbucket...let's just review really quick. So, we already went over the manual, and I made you pay attention to my driving. How do you feel so far?"

"Fine," she answered a little impatiently.

"Good. So, can you tell me why we park to the best of our ability no matter what?"

"Unbelievable," Maya groaned, and hit her head on the dashboard.

"Well, can you?"

"No, and I have no desire to."

"Hmm, well that's odd...because I explicitly remember telling you all about that."

"Ugh...fine, it was because "it's a safe practice, and will get you in the habit of doing it when you really need it"," she mocked visibly.

"So you _do_ remember." Lucas leaned back satisfied.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, now can we actually do something or are we going to talk about nonsense all day?"

"Wow, if I knew you'd be a stubborn pill to teach, I wouldn't have done it," he teased. "What happened to being all shy about letting me teach you? All of a sudden, you turn back into Maya."

"And I wasn't before?"

"Not really...you were too considerate."

"Shut up, Ranger Rick!" She pushed him.

"I'm serious! You were so set on not letting me teach you, and insisting that you didn't care, and now you want to do nothing else but drive!"

"What can I say? Your teaching has appealed to me, and convinced me that I have my heart set on it!" Maya burst out laughing.

"Okay, Ms. Sarcastic. If it's all right with you, I'd like to continue seriously now." Lucas couldn't hide his small smile.

"By all means, Sundance...that's all I wanted to do anyway."

He shook his head. "So, we're going to go over the basic rules and stuff..."

Lucas began to turn the car on and off, adjust the mirrors, release the brake, and all the while narrating as he went along. Surprisingly, Maya listened intently and actually took the whole thing seriously. She wanted to make sure Lucas knew how much she appreciated the thought and that he went out of his way to help her...it didn't happen very often, so she cherished whatever she got. And she really did want to learn how to drive; no matter what it looked like from the outside.

Maya was also hoping this would be practice for later - trying not to be affected by Lucas at all - because she couldn't and she'd obviously have to spend a lot of time with him in the future. Even if she wasn't allowed to like him, he was still her friend, and she wasn't going to give that friendship up. So, as Lucas reviewed the controls for the headlights, she tried not to get distracted by the way his forehead crinkled like it always did when he was talking about something serious. Or the way the light caught his beautiful green eyes as he leaned forward...honestly, she'd never seen that shade of green before. Who else had that unique coloring? Someone out there had to have it too, right? Or maybe Huckleberry was just unique—

She told herself to stop and pay attention again. She was acting like one of those obnoxious girls who obsessed over boys, and that was certainly not her at all...even if she wasn't completely sure who Maya Hart was, she knew that much. And even if she liked Lucas, she was going to keep denying it until it became truth. In her heart, and in her mind.

"Are you even listening?" Lucas sighed, and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Yes," she scowled, and pushed his hand away. "I just dazed off for a minute, sorry."

"Okay, if you were paying attention, what did I just say?"

"I told you I dazed off...I don't actually know what you just said," she reluctantly admitted, still annoyed.

"I was talking about the different gears. Do you understand any of that?"

"I'm not sure what you're referring to."

Lucas pointed to the clutch. "Explain gears to me."

"Um..." Maya racked her sub-conscious to see if it had picked anything up in her daze. "I know that there's the reverse gear."

"Okay, Shortstack. I need you to pay attention." He smiled, and tapped her chin.

"I'm trying."

"Do you want to take a break? Or do you just want to end it for today?"

"No...I mean, maybe," the blonde shrugged. "Or yes. I don't know...I guess we—"

"What's up, Maya?"

"Huh?" She was surprised by the sudden change in topic. "Nothing, Heehaw."

"That's a lie, and you know it. I can tell when something is bothering you, so let's just skip the fake smiles, and actually talk." Lucas turned the music off, and faced Maya.

The small girl sighed; he knew her too well.

"Do you remember when I told you about going to my dad's house?"

He nodded.

"Well, I've been hanging out with them for the last couple of weeks; and things haven't actually been that bad." She played with the ends of her blonde hair. "But they're going on vacation next month, and well...they invited me to go with them."

"Really?"

"M-hmm."

"So, what do you think about it?"

"That's the thing," Maya looked at him. "I don't know. I mean my dad and I haven't had any problems, but I don't exactly want to hang out with him."

"I get that," Lucas agreed. "But, did you consider giving them—giving him—a chance? It might end up being fun."

"I realize that...I really do. But you can't promise that, and I've dealt with enough crap in my life, Sundance."

"Which is completely understandable."

"But..." She prompted.

"But things can turn out way better than we think, Clutterbucket. Just take Shawn for example; it didn't look good in the beginning, but now he's dating your mom and he stuck around. If you had been against it from the start, Shawn probably still wouldn't be here."

"And that all makes sense."

"So..."

"So, it doesn't really mean anything. I mean yes, you're right, but aren't words just words?"

"No, I don't believe that," Lucas shook his head. "Why else would you be talking to me? If words didn't mean anything, you wouldn't be opening up to me."

"I'm not opening up to you," Maya scoffed.

"Hate to break it to you, but you are."

Shoot. Well, that plan didn't last long...she needed to up her game. Why was she opening up to _him_ of all people? Boy was this frustrating! She didn't even realize when she was doing it; which made it a whole lot worse, and a problem.

"And there's nothing wrong with that," he noted her frustration. "What you need to learn is that it's okay to let people know about you...which is something we've already discussed. It's a concept you can't seem to grasp."

"Well I'm very sorry I'm so utterly stupid." She started to get out of the car.

"You are so ridiculous, Maya." He shot out an arm, and grabbed her from behind. "You know that's not what I was saying...I wish you'd stop overreacting."

Maya paused and evaluated the situation. Right now, was her heart or her head winning the war inside herself?

"...and you've talked to me before, so why is each time a new battle?"

Right now her head was wrestling for dominance, and it was causing her to speak out. On the other hand, her heart was screaming for her to hide; to not let them know what was really going on in her innermost thoughts.

"...I just don't get it. We've been through so much, and yet you're so hesitant, even with Riley..." Lucas continued.

Her head was going to win, there was no doubt about it; but her heart had always been the ruler and it wasn't going to allow her mask to come off. The breaking point was a huge factor in her mind's strength, but it didn't mean her heart was completely forgotten...not by a long shot.

"I talked to you about my dad's vacation offer, didn't I?" Maya interrupted, brushing off the rambling he had just displayed a moment ago.

"Yes, but then you shut down again," he retorted.

"How?"

"When I mentioned that you were opening up to me!" Lucas threw his hands up. "I _want_ you to do that, Shortstack!"

"Yes, that's what everyone seems to want, isn't it?" she mumbled.

"For good reason..." The tall boy studied her face. "This isn't just about what we want though."

"I know."

That was a lie...and there was going to be a lot of them in the future too.

"Don't be afraid—"

"Whatever you're going to say, stop please. I'm not afraid to do or say anything, and I wish people would stop assuming that," Maya interrupted irritably.

"You mean more than one person has said that to you?"

She nodded.

"Good!" He exclaimed, surprising her a bit. "Maybe it'll knock some sense into your head."

"I have plenty of that, and can we just move on now?" She was growing tired of this relentless back and forth. Usually she didn't have a problem with their banter, but that was different than what they were doing right now.

"Yes, let's move on," Lucas agreed. "Now, here's what we're going to do; you're going to think over both sides of the offer _before_ making a decision, and then you're going to be fair with your choice. We can work on your opening up skills later."

"Gee, thanks for planning my life Huckleberry," Maya said sarcastically, buckling herself up as Lucas did the same.

"I'm not planning your life," he replied as he started the ignition. "Just helping the best I can, ma'am."

She shook her head. "Okay, Sundance."

"Now," he sat back, and looked at her expectantly. "What's the next step?"

"Ugh," she groaned and put her head in her hands.

* * *

"Hey, Mrs. Matthews."

"Hey, Maya. How's school going?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, and plopped herself down on the couch casually.

"You do realize that's the most dreaded question of all time, right?"

She laughed. "I suppose you're right. Well, Riley's not here right now honey, but she should be back soon."

"I know."

The older woman looked up in surprise, but continued to sort through the box on the table.

"Oh?"

"I was kind of wondering if I could ask you something." Maya suddenly grew awkward, and fiddled with whatever her hands found. That had become a habit of hers lately; whenever she felt anxious she would play with things sub-consciously.

"Sure, sweetheart. What's on your mind?" Mrs. Matthews stopped her organizing, and walked over to sit next to the younger girl.

"So, I'm sure you know I don't like to open up to people or talk about my problems..." She smiled at the pillow on her lap. "But, this is just one question, so I hope you know I'm not going to spill my guts."

"Of course not," she said understandably. "I'm just glad you came to me at all."

"Well, you'd be the first," Maya laughed bitterly.

"Is that what this is about?"

"Not really, and this is kind of a silly question. Actually I don't even know why I'm here right now."

"It's okay, Maya. Shoot."

"How do you know whether or not you're doing what you're supposed to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, are you doing something for yourself or for others?" Maya explained. "And whichever one it is, is it the right one?"

"I can't answer that for you, sweetie; only you can do that. What is your heart telling you?"

"Something different than my head...but, aren't you supposed to listen to both your head _and_ your heart?"

"Yes...so, what you have to learn is how to do that. It's a really hard lesson, and takes practice, but it's what's going to get you through life the right way," Mrs. Matthews said.

"But I don't know how do that," the blonde added honestly.

"Nobody knows how do that in the beginning. That's why we have to learn, and why we make so many mistakes...because we are teaching ourselves how to do it. In fact, you never really learn completely; I'm still trying myself."

"That's comforting."

She laughed. "You'll be just fine, Maya. You're pretty fierce, and I know you have the capabilities to do it! You just have to believe that you can, and you're already halfway there."

"It's a lot easier said than done, isn't it?"

"You mean the head versus heart thing, or believing you can?"

"The second one...but both, of course."

Mrs. Matthews observed Maya's gestures and facial expressions carefully.

"Who's ruling your body?"

"Huh?"

"Which one is in charge, honey?"

"You mean my head or my heart?" She sighed as she considered it. "I'm pretty sure my head, which is unusual to be honest. I've always relied on feelings and emotions."

"So why do you think it's different now?"

"Like I would know," Maya shrugged. "I don't even know which clothing style is really me."

"Clothing style?" Mrs. Matthews asked, a little lost.

"You know how I kinda went through that phase where I tried out different clothes?"

She nodded.

"Yah, well everyone's convinced that it was something that needed to be fixed...but, I kind of liked it," Maya explained. "And now I don't know which is the actual thing I like."

"Are you telling me the whole root of this is that you're not sure who Maya Hart really is?" Mrs. Matthews guessed.

"Maybe."

"Well, again I can't help you on that one, but my advice to you is to not lie to yourself. Even if everyone else around you says something completely different, listen to what you think feels best. Because otherwise you're going to end up in a deeper hole."

"Yah, see there's the other thing; everyone has such different advice. Which one am I supposed to listen to?" The younger girl's baby blue eyes caused her heart to ache, as they met her own.

And then the conversation was frustratingly cut short by the entrance of one ecstatic best friend.

"Peaches!" Riley cried, as she flung the door open, and rushed to her best friend.

"Hey, Riles." Maya reached up to give her friend a hug. "How did your date with Charlie go?"

"Really, really good!" The brunette beamed, and grabbed the blonde's wrist; tugging her up from the couch. "Come on, bay window time!"

"Okay, I'm coming," she laughed, and let herself be dragged by the energetic teen.

"Hey, sweetie?" Mrs. Matthews called out.

"Mm?" Maya said, waving for Riley to go ahead.

"If you need to talk, I'll always be here. Don't hesitate to come over and chat anytime, okay?"

"I know...thank you." Maya smiled, then headed after the impatient Riley.

The mother sat on the couch for a little longer contemplating on the small girl that she considered another daughter. She was beyond happy that Maya had come to her, but she couldn't help but feel even more concerned for her. What she had said even in that small amount of time had told her volumes; especially since she was trained to read between the lines. Riley had been right, something really serious was going on, and maybe even Maya didn't see it all herself. That was probably what scared her the most.


	28. Pushing the Object Already In Motion

_**Author's Note: A huge thanks to everyone who has already followed, favorited, and reviewed! Don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **So, I am SO sorry for the extremely long wait. I have been very busy, and I know a lot of people say that so I apologize, but I have been trying to edit this as well at the same time, which isn't a good combination. ;) I'm trying to fix my future chapters for you guys because I'm aware that some of the characterization needs some work, so I'm trying to do that to the best to my ability...But, 2 of you have PMed me, and told me that they miss my story, and that was SUCH a confidence booster, honestly guys. I really needed that as I was feeling overwhelmed with editing, and nervous about posting these chapters as they're not what I'd like them to be. I am so aware of your support, and I REALLY appreciate it! So, this next chapter is for you as always. Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Pushing the Object Already In Motion

"So, basically you're forcing me to go," Maya said as she shoved aside some clothes.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," her mother replied impatiently. "What I'm saying is that you need to bond with your father, and this is a really good opportunity to do so."

"Why are you even telling me that? He left us, mom...why are you pushing me to hang out with him?"

"Honey, I understand, probably better than you do... But, here's something you can't quite understand until you have kids of your own. I want the best for you, and I think that one, it's good to get to know your own father, and two, that even though he did that, you should give him another chance."

"Oh, like you gave him another chance?" Maya blurted out thoughtlessly.

"The opportunity hasn't exactly arisen," she responded coolly, moving aside a stack of shirts. "And I think you know it's a little different."

She did. But, she really didn't want to do this and yet—

"Yes, but how do I know how it's really going to go, mom? I don't want things to turn out badly." Maya leaned on the shelf.

"Of course not. But how will you ever find out if you don't go?"

"Maybe I don't want to take that chance."

"Where's the Maya I know?" Ms. Hart smiled sadly at her daughter. "She's certainly not afraid to take risks."

"She's not available right now...would you like to leave her a message along with all the rest of mine?" the blonde said sarcastically. "Cause' she's not answering."

"Oh, honey. Just because you've changed doesn't mean you're gone...it just means you do things a little differently."

"Okay, mom." Maya didn't want to think about this, much less _talk_ about it.

Her mother glanced at her before moving to a rack of dresses, and rifling through them.

"Well, regardless of who you are or aren't, I still think you should go."

"Yes, but that's my decision isn't it?"

"Of course, but you should still have outside input."

"Which I've had plenty of."

"Good...now you just have to listen to it. But, you're right in the end it's your decision and I can't change that," Ms. Hart answered.

Maya fingered the lace on a hem of a skirt, and sighed heavily.

"Should I even be asking you this, mom?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and I both know that you're never really around, and it's always better if you don't get involved, right? I mean, I think I'm handling this just fine by myself."

Her mother looked hurt, but she masked it quickly.

"I don't know, Baby girl. I thought you and I were getting along really well, and that we were communicating. And besides, with this new position, I have more time away from work."

There was only partial truth to her statement. Yes, she had more time away from work, but she wasn't spending all of it with Maya. Like...at all. Probably even less than before, and she had no idea what her mother could be doing. She knew some of it had to do with Shawn, which she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about, but the rest? Who knew?

"I'm sorry, let's just move on." The young blonde shook her head, and swiftly hid behind a wall of shirts. "I like this one."

"Sweetheart, please don't—" Ms. Hart shouldered her purse, and followed her daughter.

"Mom," her tone was deadly serious. "Just leave it alone."

"I just want to understand what exactly is going on! Three months ago you and I were just fine."

"Things change." The small girl looked at her mother. "People change."

So she left it alone, and changed the topic.

"Could I bribe you to go?"

Maya glanced at her mother in surprise; she was sure the conversation was over.

"You mean with dad?"

"M-hmm."

"That's ridiculous."

"Why?"

"Because you shouldn't have to say that! You shouldn't be supporting him in any way!" She shouted, oblivious to the stares of the other shoppers.

"I'm not supporting him—"

"Yes, you are! You're telling me I should go!"

"I've already explained my reasons for that, Maya."

"Whatever. You know what this is? Another conversation where my feelings and life is always last."

"You know that's not it." Her mother grew stern. "And do you realize how hurtful that is? I get it, I'm not the best mother...but I try, I really do. Especially this last year. So if you're going to throw out accusations, think them through first."

Maya bit her lip. "I'm still not going."

"Tell me why that is."

"I've already explained my reasons for that," she sneered.

"Not completely."

"I _already_ told you I don't want to take that chance!"

"What chance?"

It was like spoon feeding her every line, and Maya was growing impatient.

"Of getting hurt again! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Ms. Hart sighed, and cocked her head.

"Baby girl, everything we do in our lives is a potential reason to get hurt. We just have to embrace it, and hope for the best. And I know that's something you are able to do quite easily; you've done it so many times in the past."

She scuffed her toe against the worn carpet, and crossed her arms.

Ms. Hart continued. "And I'm not doing this for your father. At all. I'm doing this for you, because I think it's what's going to be best for you, and that's all I want. And you know what?"

"What?" The small girl asked quietly.

"Do you really think I want you going all the way out to California with him?" Ms. Hart laughed bitterly. "Again, I'm doing this because even though it's hard for both of us, I really do believe it's going to benefit you in the end."

"Okay, I'll do it." Maya shook her head, and looked into her mother's eyes grimly, not even sure why she was saying what she was saying.

"Thank you." She smiled sadly, and wrapped her daughter in a hug. "I'm so sorry I can't be better for you, sweetheart. I think it stings because what you say is true, and I love you so much. If this is one way to help you, even if you end up hating me in the process, I'll do it for you."

She pulled away, but held onto her arms. "Don't think you've failed me completely, mom. It's not all you...and I know you try."

"Thanks for that, Baby girl."

"To be honest though, you do realize you don't always try right?"

"I do." Her mother tucked a strand of Maya's hair behind her ear. "But, I'm _trying_ to get better...and I'm really hoping this job will be a good start. Change is good right?"

"Not in my experience, mom."

"But there's hope that things can be different than they were before, right?" Ms. Hart said pointedly.

"I guess that's what we're going to find out."

* * *

Maya twirled her pencil between her fingers, and stared blankly at the problem in front of her. There was no way she would be able to answer this question, so why even try? That was her motto for homework, and school in general. And so far, it made perfect sense. Maya knew she was no genius, or even average—just look at her grades. Nothing higher than a C on occasion. She was still doing last year problems, or at least that's what Farkle had told her, and she was almost positive at this point she wouldn't be able to graduate high school. And then that left her the options of what she could to with her life, which at this point was absolutely nothing. Wow, was she a messed up life.

Her phone vibrated, as if right on cue, and Maya reluctantly picked it up. Why did she even bother looking at these anymore? They certainly weren't helping her situation.

 **X:** _You know what I was thinking about the other day? I was reminded of how everyone in life has some kind of purpose, some helpful trait that can contribute to society...can you tell me what yours is? Because I certainly can't remember. You want to know why? Because you don't have one, and I think you know that too, don't you? What you are is a burden, and someone that everyone merely pities and tolerates...just think about your friends; what do they do? They butt into your life so they can get your problems over and done with. And one last thing_ _,_ _where does that leave you, huh? Think about it..._

Oh, she did...a lot. Now, she was going to try to push it to the back of her mind, and focus on science—yes, she realized she was that desperate to get her mind off of things. Especially since she had just been convincing herself there was no point.

 **5) Table salt, NaCI, is made from:**

Oh, yes...she was definitely going to use that in her life. When she had that job interview, and they asked what table salt was made from, she could answer. How lucky she was.

 **Answer:** _A highly reactive metal and a toxic gas._

Or at least she thought that was right...well, who cared anyway, right? It was obviously an easy question, and she should know it. Maya sighed, and began to move on to the next one, when a _tap, tap_ sound came from her window. She groaned, and shook her head at the figure in the glass. He shrugged and grinned; and she reluctantly walked over and opened it up for him.

"Really, Huckleberry?" Maya stepped to the side so he could hop in. "Are we going to make this a habit? I have a front door you know."

"I guess I'm just used to going through windows." Lucas shut it behind him gently.

"Yes, well I'm pretty sure Riley's is a lot easier to get through." The blonde walked back over to her spot on the floor, and picked up her homework.

"Whatcha' working on?" He asked as he leaned over her shoulder.

Maya took in a sharp breath. "Just science."

"How you doing?"

"Ugh, why do you even ask?"

"Because I know you're capable of doing better." The tall boy put his hands in his pockets casually.

"Have you been talking to Farkle?" She accused.

"No, why?"

"Never mind...don't worry about that." Maya breathed a sigh of relief. "But, I do have a question for you. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I know tomorrow's the trip, and I wanted to see how you're doing. Actually that's not completely true. I knew you'd be anxious so I came to talk a little bit." Lucas sat on her bed.

"About?"

"The vacation, your life, the group thing..." He approached the topics cautiously.

"Why?" She sighed, and perched next to him.

"Because we have to...and also because I knew how you'd be feeling tonight."

"Which is?"

"Like I said, nervous and a little vulnerable...open to talking."

"So, basically you're taking advantage of my time of supposed weakness?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Lucas didn't seem bothered by her reaction.

"Except I don't have a time of weakness. Especially not right now."

"Do I really have to remind you about last month?" Lucas said teasingly, though using a gentle tone.

"No."

"Besides, regardless of whether or not you're in denial, I'm still talking."

"Sure, go ahead. Talk all you want." Maya shrugged, and reopened her textbook.

He closed it, and smiled. "And guess who's doing the rest of the talking?"

"I don't know, Sundance. There doesn't seem to be anyone else here, so it would have to be your imaginary cow friends, right?"

"So you're calling yourself a cow?"

"Shut up, Huckleberry." She rolled her eyes.

Lucas laughed, and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, got it...so, are you all packed and ready to go?"

"What are you? My mother?"

"No, just a concerned friend."

"Well, if you must know, I haven't started," Maya admitted, crawling back to sit next to him.

"Really?" He raised his head. "Doesn't your flight leave at 9?"

"Yah...plenty of time."

"Except you have to be at the airport early, remember?"

"Ugh." Maya groaned. "It's fine; I'll just stay up late again."

"Oh, yah. How's sleeping been?"

"One word: coffee." The small girl yawned appropriately.

"Sorry."

"Eh, it's okay, Sundance. I'll survive."

"Well, you won't survive in California for very long without anything, so you should get packing. I'll help if you want."

"You mean like right now?"

"Yes, I'm not letting you delay it any longer."

"Fine, but since you offered, you get to do all of the packing."

"Nice try. Let's go, Clutterbucket," Lucas smirked, and dragged her off of her bed.

"You're annoying, you know that?" Maya slumped onto her knees, and dragged a backpack out from under her bed.

"Whenever I think I'm not, you always take me down," he said, clearing a space on the floor for room.

"You're welcome, Mr. Perfect."

"Not going to thank you for that."

"That's okay, I know you appreciate it." Maya stood up, and began digging through her dresser.

"Okay, quick question, how are you going to fit everything in that?" Lucas pointed to her small bag.

"I'm only staying for the weekend."

"Yes, but that's barely enough for room for an overnight bag to your friend's house, let alone a trip across the country," Lucas pointed out.

"I pack light, Ranger Rick. And besides I've used backpacks for lots of things. This is just another one."

"Oh, yes...I remember that bag." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of which; have you seen Jazz yet?"

"You mean since December?"

The tall boy nodded.

"No, and it's a meeting I'm hoping to avoid," Maya said pointedly, grabbing a couple of shirts, and stuffing them into her pack.

Lucas shook his head, and took the clothing out, folding it while she sighed.

"You know you'll have to tell her, right? And Josh too."

"Hey, that's the first time you've mentioned his name without looking like you want to go punch his face!" The blonde girl grinned teasingly.

"Anyway…" He awkwardly looked down and continued the packing. "I'm just saying you'll need to talk to them, and now that you're not going to be involved with the group, we need to do something about it."

"You mean turn them in?"

"Something like that."

Maya took a deep breath. "We can't do that."

"What? Why not?" Lucas paused his folding.

"Because it's too late, Huckleberry. I was involved. I did damage... so did you. We're just as responsible as they are."

"Yes, but we're not doing it anymore."

"Just because you change, doesn't mean the past mistakes are erased," she said softly.

"Well, then what do we do?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think it's time to tell someone else?"

"No!" Maya shook her head rigorously. "That's just going to make it worse."

"We can't just leave it alone."

"Why? Just let them make their mistakes, and the only ones who will know about our damage will be us."

"Because we shouldn't just let them continue their vandalism! Maya, this is a big deal! They're destroying things and if we just sit back and watch, knowing who they are, we're just as bad as them."

They sat in silence, neither moving, just staring each other down. And she knew they weren't going to make any progress, but she was going to squelch any chance they _might_ have had of figuring it out. Because she didn't need another bad mark on her record; she had plenty of those.

"Lucas," she said, speaking up.

He looked worried for her next words.

"We'll just talk about this when I come back, okay?" she offered, and he nodded, agreeing.

Except later always meant never when it came to her, and she was banking on him not realizing that...or at least that's what she hoped would occur.


	29. Interrogations Across the Country

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **So, I want to be honest with everyone right now. I haven't been feeling very inspired lately, and while I have no intention of stopping this story, it's not going to be as good as I want it to be. I'm going to try to re-write my pre-written chapters, but it means it will be time consuming and posts will be farther apart then you may want... I don't know how well this will work, BUT I really hope you still enjoy them, and stick with the story until it comes to a satisfying conclusion, and then maybe when I'm feeling creative again, I'll go back and work on this story. I SO appreciate all the reviews and follows, and I never thought I'd get so many...that's why I wanted to make sure that my story was absolutely perfect, but well, that's not realistic. ;)**_

 _ **Another factor in all of this is my life has been ridiculously crazy, and I've taken on way too much. I'm currently doing a singing thing, and a play, and obviously there's school, babysitting, etc. (I know you don't want to read my excuses, lol) But, again, I will try to make this a priority, and hopefully this chapter gets posted soon because I have to re-write it...(It's currently the 4th of January. I have NO idea when this will actually get published, haha.) Thank you for understanding!**_

 _ **Chapters 1-21 are all re-edited and up! It's all done, hallelujah! :P  
**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Interrogations Across the Country

"Look, Maya!" Hope pointed at the vast city below them.

"Yes, very cool."

This time the little girl didn't answer and continued to press her button nose against the cool glass. Maya laughed at her antics; she was not impressed with the city. It was basically just another New York, nothing special. They had been flying for about 5 hours now, and Maya was getting fed up with it all, the constant talking, the tension... Yes, she loved her little sister, but she needed a break.

Turning to Joy, she let out a heavy breath, and the older woman laughed.

"Why don't you go the restroom for a little while, sweetheart," she winked.

"Thanks," Maya smiled genuinely, and unbuckling, headed up the aisle.

To be honest, she didn't mind flying all that much, but that was probably because it was still pretty new to her. Her mom had never been able to afford to take them on vacation, let alone to somewhere that required plane tickets, so this was only the second time she had been in an airplane. The first time had been when she was 3, and they had gone to her aunt's funeral in Arizona.

Maya finally reached the doors, and wobbled ungracefully into the compartment. That part she didn't like; everything felt so unstable up here. If you thought about it, a gigantic metal container wasn't all that safe—especially if it was soaring through the air.

The blonde turned to the tiny mirror, and dug through the small makeup bag she had brought with her. Applying a fresh layer of lip gloss, she reminded herself to be light. No more heavy, dark makeup for her—Riley had been very insistent on that. But what was wrong with her trying different styles, huh? Apparently everything... _they_ told her who she was supposed to be, how she should dress, and Maya did it to make sure they would be happy. Hopefully she would start to see those results soon, because right now she was getting nothing. One thing she didn't know though was who Maya really was, and what she actually wanted.

The mystery girl in the mirror pursed her pink lips, and scrunched up her blonde hair. She looked better today...every day seemed to be a little more encouraging in that respect. Maya was definitely losing some of her insecurity; or at least that's what her head perceived. Her heart was still holding on for dear life, but she had chosen to ignore it. No matter how much she might want to scream, she wasn't going to budge…not an inch. It was just like how her broken mask wouldn't come off. Whatever that episode in her room had been, it was merely a setback. Yes, she had been left to pick up the broken pieces of her mask; but she had glued it back together and slipped it back on. It was so simple.

Maya finished her makeup, took a deep breath, then headed back to her seat. Joy looked up with a small smile, and Hope beamed, tugging her down to look out the window again.

"See that?" Her green eyes widened. "That's the ocean."

"You know we have one back home, right?" the blonde teased.

"Yes! But it's far away, and this one's prettier."

She leaned over, and peered out the tiny window.

"Yah, that's true," Maya admitted.

"And we get to go swimming in it! Are you excited?"

"Very."

Joy chuckled, and turned the page in her magazine.

"Honey, why don't you let Maya rest for a little bit?"

"But I want to talk to her," Hope pouted.

"Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time for that." Her mother reached over, and gave her little hand a squeeze.

"Fine." The little girl sighed, giving her the cutest eye roll she had ever seen.

After that, the rest of the flight—which ended up being a whopping 23 minutes—was pretty quiet. Maya took the time to try to sleep, even though the last 5 hours she hadn't been able to as she had always been a light sleeper. And unfortunately she couldn't sleep sitting up, so she was kind of at a dead end there. Then her thoughts ended up wandering; but she let them. After all, what damage could they possibly create in her already confused and messed up mind?

* * *

"Hey, guys." Farkle opened the door, and crossed immediately to their usual spot.

"Hey," Zay and Lucas chorused, both of them looking a little bored.

"Where's Riley?" the lanky boy asked curiously.

"Probably caught up in her daydreams of cotton candy animals dancing on rainbows." Zay threw up his hands sarcastically.

"Okay...sorry I asked."

"We're not completely sure," Lucas explained. "She texted that she might be late, but that was almost an hour ago."

"That's not like her," Farkle mused, sitting on the couch.

"Yah, well it's probably a good thing." Zay sighed.

"Um, how is this a good thing?"

"Because we need to discuss something with our Moral Compass, remember?" He answered through gritted teeth and looking pointedly at Farkle.

"That's really weird when you say it, man." The aforementioned boy raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, he's right though." Farkle looked at Lucas.

His grin faded. "What did I do?"

"Nothing...we just have a question for you."

"Where were you the night of October 31st, around 10:50 p.m.?" Zay narrowed his eyes.

"Uh—with you guys?"

"I told you we weren't doing an interrogation!" Farkle put his head in his hands.

"Interesting." Zay ignored him. "And do you happen to remember the certain event of climbing into Maya Hart's window?"

"Yes..." Lucas replied slowly. Where the heck were they going with this?

"You said she was home."

The tall boy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and cleared his throat.

"Yah, so?"

"You lied!" Zay slammed his hands down on the table.

"Whoa!" Lucas raised his hands in defense. "Where did you guys get that idea?"

"You're not exactly the best liar, Mr. Freak-face." Farkle declared and folded his arms.

"Uh, well Riley believed me."

"Yes...because we're talking about _Riley_. The innocent little girl; truster of all." Zay reminded. "We're not so naive."

"You guys can't just assume that. Why don't you believe me?"

"Again, you're a terrible liar...and you had this really weird face on after you came down. Look, there's no question as to you lying, but I just want to know _why_."

"I wasn't lying...she was in her living room with her mom."

"Lucas, just stop. You're acting like Maya," Farkle pointed out.

Okay...now he had no choice but to be honest, right? Otherwise he was just a hypocrite, and after all the pleading he had done with her; he wasn't going to turn around and do the same thing.

"Fine, so what if I lied? Who cares?"

"We do!" Zay raised his hand. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to protect Riley."

"You wanted to protect Riley? Or did you want to protect Maya?" Farkle smirked, and watched his friend's face thoughtfully.

"Both," Lucas admitted.

"Okay, and how did lying about Maya help either of them? Do you even know where she actually was?"

"Yes," the Texan answered hesitantly.

"Really?" Zay's interest was peaked significantly. "Where?"

"Do you think that's any of your business?"

"Yes, she's our friend. Where was she, Lucas?" Farkle added.

"Look, she told me something in confidence, and I'm not about to break that trust." He shook his head.

"Come on, man," his friends complained.

"Look, all I can tell you is she was doing something she wasn't supposed to, and I fixed it...or I'm working on it."

"Fixed, or not fixed? That's an important detail in this equation," Farkle said.

"Working on it," Lucas sighed.

"Not fixed then," the genius concluded.

"You both are annoying." He glared at his nosy companions. "And let me remind you this whole thing was 3 months ago."

"Yes, and it's long overdue for a discussion. So, how long is it going to take to crack you?"

"Yah, man. I know we can get you to tell us what she did," Zay smirked.

"No, you can't," Lucas refused uneasily. "This is between Maya and I."

"Oh, yah. That reminds me..." His friend grinned.

"You guys have been spending a lot of time together," Farkle said, though without the enthusiasm the other boy had.

"She _is_ my friend."

"And so are we...but you guys are always hanging out and talking about stuff we don't know about," he said slowly. "So, my guess is you finally did it."

"Did what?" Lucas was completely lost now.

"Told Maya you like her!" Zay threw up his hands in exasperation.

"What? No, I don't like her like that, and in fact it's better if we don't even discuss things like this anymore."

"Why is that?" he looked incredibly smug.

"Because of the triangle!"

"Which has long since been dissolved," Farkle reminded. "And Lucas, we're not oblivious. We can tell what's going on with you. We're your friends...have been for a while."

"So, what did she say?" The darker skinned boy leaned forward eagerly.

Just then, Riley Matthews skipped through the door, a great big grin stretched across her features. The two other boys groaned, and slumped in their respective chairs, while she plopped onto the seat next to Lucas.

"What?" Riley asked as she looked at their faces.

"You're my best friend right now." Lucas let out a huge sigh of relief, and let his body relax.

"Okay, what did I miss?" The brunette raised an eyebrow.

* * *

"Will you come play in the water with me _now_?" Hope pleaded.

"Um..." Maya bit her lip, and glanced over at Joy anxiously.

"Would you mind, sweetheart?" The older woman smiled. "I'm a little tired, and she'd love to have your company."

"I'm not much of a swimmer."

"Don't worry about that, Hope is too little to swim in the ocean anyway. She'll just splash around near the shore." Joy said and waved her comment off.

"Please?" the little girl thrust out her bottom lip as she looked up at her.

"Okay," Maya relented, and made herself get out of the comfortable chair.

"Yay!" Hope beamed, and started running across the hot sand to the ocean.

The blonde followed the little girl reluctantly, eyeing the waves cautiously. Why did they fill her with dread?

They reached the waterline, and Hope carefully made her way into the water, giggling as the water lapped across her ankles. Maya gingerly stepped onto the damp sand, and gasped as the freezing cold water brushed over her feet.

"This is so fun!" Hope shrieked, bouncing a little.

Freezing cold water. Consuming her. Trapping her in the darkness. No—there was no way she was afraid of water. But, the pond...the coldness...drowning.

Maya stepped back, her little sister oblivious to her hesitation. Pressure, her lungs crying for air, and then—Lucas. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Think of Lucas...he had saved her. Everything was okay. There was a safe, calm presence that came with him - with even the thought of him.

"Do you want to go deeper?" Hope's voice broke through her daze.

No.

"Sure, princess," she said instead.

The young girl giggled, and grabbed her older sister's hand.

"Does that make me Ariel?"

"M-hmm," the blonde nodded.

Lucas. The water was touching her ankles. Huckleberry. Cold surrounded her legs. Ranger Rick. She was cold and wet. Why did it have to be him of all people? Why did he fill her with calm, and an odd feeling of exhilaration?

She opened her eyes. Good news? She wasn't afraid of the ocean anymore; in fact, it was beautiful. Bad news? It was all because of Lucas.

Maya looked up at the brilliant blue sky even though the bright sunlight momentarily blinded her. She needed to be temporarily blinded because she couldn't be distracted by outside things right now. Maya Penelope Hart was going to think. Lazily brushing the water with her fingertips, she bit her lip and let her mind take hold of the concept of Lucas Friar. He scared her. She was afraid of letting him in, of him leaving, of MAKING him leave...that was the truth wasn't it? The truth that had come out _because_ of him, the one that wouldn't come out for anyone else including herself.

And that was when she made the decision. Glancing over at the playful Hope and relaxed Joy, Maya closed her eyes and nodded. It was time to talk to Lucas. For real this time. She was tired of all of this, tired of the games, and the hurt even if it was justified. It was time to set things straight, and just go back to normal with her friends...even if she herself wasn't the same.

* * *

Hope and Maya played in the water for a while, and then made their way back to Joy who decided to call it quits for the day, at least for the beach. After they went back to the house and cleaned up, they headed out for dinner and had a wonderful evening together. No water involved whatsoever thankfully, and no father problems either. Maya almost hated to admit it, but she was enjoying herself, and was glad she had been convinced to come.

Then they took them to the Golden Gate Bridge, and the landscape was so incredibly gorgeous, it took Maya's breath away. The sun was setting, and the sky was a beautiful combination of oranges and pinks, all giving the shiny metal of the bridge an illuminating appearance. She had never wanted to paint something so much. Except she couldn't; she hadn't been able to paint for the last couple of months...but maybe she could try?

"Wow." She let the words escape her lips.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Joy leaned on the railing next to her.

"No kidding...I'd love to paint this."

"You're into art?"

She smiled sadly. "A little."

"Well, tell you what, we can come back tomorrow if you like."

"Really?"

Joy was about to answer, but her husband's voice cut her off.

"Actually, you can't do that...you have reservations for that mother-daughter thing with Hope, honey."

"Oh. I completely forgot," Joy looked sympathetically at Maya. "Sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay...I understand." The blonde shrugged, hiding her disappointment well. She wasn't going to be able to do it anyway, right?

"Hang on, that doesn't mean you can't go at all." Her father smiled. "I can take you while they're hanging out. Otherwise, we'll just be stuck at the house."

"No, it's okay...it's not that big of a deal."

"It's okay, Maya. I'd like to come with you," Kermit reassured her.

She looked back out at the beautiful scene in front of her, and she ran a hand through her wild curls. The blonde wondered if she was in for a lot of frustration, or more hope...probably the former, but she was going to try - just this once.

"Okay. Thanks." Maya sighed reluctantly.

"Great! How does around 5:30 sound? That way you can paint the sunset again, and then we can catch our flight at 11."

Wonderful.

* * *

"...and I was thinking about it, when I realized you're hiding something," Farkle continued, looking at his friend pointedly.

"What could I possibly be hiding?"

"How you feel."

"I feel fine! I'm always fine...I don't even get sick very often!" Riley announced proudly.

"That's not what we're talking about, and you know it." He drummed his fingers on his leg.

Her smile faded. "I know."

"So...are you going to tell us, then?" Farkle inquired.

"Tell you what?" She sighed.

"What you think about the whole Maya-Lucas thing," Zay spoke up.

"Oh, that? I don't know...I think they'd be good for each other, but I mean guys, we're only in 9th grade...how much do we really know about dating?"

"Nice dodge, but I'm putting the conversation back on track now."

"Speaking of which, where is Lucas?" Riley looked around. "He was here when I came."

"He had to go home because of some "mystery sickness" his mom has...not his best work." Zay shook his head, and took another bite of his cookie.

"Well, it's another trait you all share!" the young genius groaned; talking mainly to Riley.

"I'm lost." The brunette bounced her leg up and down anxiously.

"You, Lucas, and Maya all just _love_ to avoid conversations you don't want to have—"

"Which makes perfect sense," Riley interrupted.

"—even if it's one you need to have." Farkle finished.

"Isn't that a matter of opinion?"

"Perhaps. But look, Lucas and Maya aren't here, so why don't you just admit it that you're not comfortable with them as a couple?"

"Because I don't...I don't like Lucas." Riley's defenses were much less equipped than Maya's, and so everyone could read her easily—no one was buying any of this.

"You do."

"Then why do I support them, huh? Why do I want to help them get together?" She was starting to get scared and wary of the way they were prodding her for information.

"Because you're you, Riley." Zay spoke up. "You'd do anything for your friends, even to the extent that you'd hide your feelings. You've picked that up from Maya unfortunately, but that still doesn't make it okay. I mean, do you remember what happened the last time you did this? Disaster is what happened."

"I don't want to hurt her," Riley admitted softly. "And besides we all agreed to get rid of this triangle thing last year."

"And yet Maya still seems to like Lucas, right?" Farkle pointed out cautiously.

"Look, I do like Charlie, really...I'll get over it."

"Do you _really_ like him, Riley?

She hesitated, honestly considering it. "Yes, I do. And I'm going to help Maya and Lucas realize their feelings for each other. I'm going to be just fine. Don't worry about me."

"You're my friend just as much as them." Farkle stood up, and walked over to her. "And I do believe you, but I know there's something else going on too."

"Maybe it's just because Maya and I are fighting." Riley leaned into her friend's open arms. "And I'm feeling a little vulnerable, you know? Sometimes when that happens, feelings come up...and I can't help it. So, I just need to fix things with Maya, and everything can go back to normal."

"Wait," Zay hopped off of the stool, and crossed over to the pair. "Didn't you guys make up on New Years?"

"Yah, we did." Riley looked down at her sparkly flats.

"Then..." He trailed off, obviously puzzled.

"But it's not the same as before. There's like some kind of tension or something, and I can't place it, or figure out how to fix it."

"It's probably just because Maya is trying to get better, and her emotions are all over the place right now," Farkle consoled.

"You're right," the tall girl nodded, ever the optimist. "It'll be fine."

"You just need to wait."

"I know...we all need to time.

"Right," Farkle agreed but was cut off—Riley wasn't done yet.

She looked at him seriously.

"We need time—to process more than one thing."

* * *

It didn't work. Why should it? Maya had tried, really she had, but she just couldn't do it...this is what hope did to people; and like an idiot she had fallen for its charm. Instead, she was now leafing through one of the last notebooks that hadn't gotten destroyed; looking for some inspiration or a reason why she couldn't paint. Why had she brought this sketchbook anyway? Stupid hope—stupid head.

"Actually, this is perfect." Kermit watched his daughter, his hands in his pockets and a pleased expression on his face.

"What is?" Maya asked, trying to distract herself from her failure.

"This." He gestured to them. "I wanted to have a conversation with you, and this just happens to be a great opportunity."

"Oh."

"So, I guess I should start by saying I had a nice weekend."

She didn't answer; instead turning the page to reveal a hastily drawn river...it was still good though, right?

"And I'm really glad you came with us," her father continued awkwardly.

"Yah, it's been real nice." Maya said with only a hint of sarcasm.

"Good. I guess what I really wanted to say, was that I'm happy you and I are getting along."

The blonde fingered the corner of the page, and turned the page again. This time it was an amazing charcoal drawing of majestic mountains, big clouds covering their peaks.

"...also of course with Joy and Hope. It's nice that you're bonding with them."

"Yah, well they're great people."

"They are." Kermit looked down at her. "And they're family, including me."

She finally stopped her reminiscing, and whirled around to reveal her dark and hurt eyes.

"You are _not_ family." The blonde's cracked blue eyes misted over.

"Maya, I—"

"No, I don't want to hear it," She snapped, standing up as if to scare him off. "I can stand hanging around you, and I even contacted you last year because I needed to forgive you, but I will NOT call you family."

He was silent now, realizing the error of the eagerness of his words. All he could do was watch the hurt girl in front of him yell and cry, while he stood there like an idiot.

"I only came to support Joy and Hope because I care about them," she continued, spitting the words out at him. "But you? I don't know."

That hurt.

Maya took a deep breath, and suddenly realized the effect of her words, although she had to admit to her slight callousness towards her father's feelings. "I mean, I care, I just—"

"It's okay, Maya." Kermit held up a hand, speaking softly. "I understand, really. You're struggling with this, which is perfectly understandable, and you need to get words out. I get it. It doesn't mean I'll give up on you, though."

Maya swallowed, a small prick of guiltiness filling her heart, though she tried her best to extingush it.

"And if nothing else," he said, turning his face towards the sunset. "This trip helped us to understand eachother better at least."

Maya wasn't sure how she felt about that.


	30. From a Mountain To Another Valley

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already followed, favorited, and reviewed! Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **Hey, guys...I'm really bad at updates, I'm sorry. *To the guest who told me to keep updating, I wish I could respond to you! ;) I'm trying, don't worry! My skills of procrastination are amazing, but I'm working on it. Here's your chapter!***_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty: From a Mountain To Another Valley  


"I think I have a plan," Lucas announced, startling his friends who were currently doing homework.

"A plan for what?" Farkle asked suspiciously.

"To help Maya."

Riley pushed herself up from her casual position on the floor, and faced Lucas with obvious interest. "Let's hear it."

"You all remember Pappy Joe, right?" he began.

Zay laughed. "Y'all notice how he tries not to say 'y'all'?"

"So do you," Lucas pointed out. "You only said it this time to bug me."

"I concede," Zay mumbled through a mouthful of chips.

"Anyway," he said as he rolled his eyes. "When Zay and I were little, Pappy Joe was always the one to get us to fix our fights and arguments. He has a way with words, always has."

"Where is this going?" Riley prodded.

"I think he can help Maya."

The brunette pursed her lips, and propped her pointed chin on her fist. "Are you sure that would work? I mean, unlike Zay, we've only met him once, and that includes Maya."

"Like I said, he's good at reading people, and I mean what do we have to lose?"

"He has a point," Farkle nodded. "Maya's not getting any better."

"Okay, so how do you suggest we get Pappy Joe to talk to Maya? I don't think she's just going to happily pick up the phone and chat about her life," Zay asked.

"Well, it's currently the middle of February, but I was thinking we should take a trip to Texas in March," Lucas explained.

"March? That's too far away," Riley groaned, sinking back onto the floor in defeat. After two seconds however, she perked back up and cocked her head inquisitively at Lucas. "Wait, why March?"

"There's this huge fair thing," Zay mused. "That could work. We could go for the festival, and then Maya could talk to Pappy Joe, too."

Farkle and Riley slowly nodded as their brains worked out the proposition before them.

"Well, what have we got to lose?" the former asked.

"Nothing at all," Riley answered quietly, then continued even softer, "I miss Maya."

"So do I." Lucas looked down at his hands, his mind fixed on the hope that he could get her to Texas. If he could, everything would be fine.

It had to be.

* * *

Maya had it all set up - the whole she-bang. It was actually kind of nice to see it all again: the tarps, the easel and canvas, the beautiful new paintbrushes still not used.

Unfortunately it was ruined by her. Yes, it was her own fault, her own stupid heart. She desperately wanted to paint again, especially since she had made the decision to talk to Lucas, but it wasn't going too well.

Maya contemplated the limp flower in front of her, and tried to make it better by adding shading.

As she worked, her mind was whirling with thoughts and contemplations about her actions. She sincerely needed to talk to Lucas, but she was afraid it wasn't going to work out, and she just knew that she couldn't handle something like that right now.

That didn't work…the shading was awful. She picked up the white, and tried to add some highlights to its petals and leaves.

And then, the age old problem crept up again; she wasn't completely sure how she felt. Yes, it had gotten a lot better since the breakdown, but it was still an issue that her head was trying to drill out of her. What was it about her head and heart? How was her own body at war with itself? It was so confusing, and yet so—nothing. There was something about the feeling of not knowing what you want or feel...a lot of people had told her it was not that complicated to let your emotions run wild—except it is. And you can't possibly understand until you've felt it yourself; until you've been through it. Maya understood now; and she felt numb...why? Because that was what life was: empty, lonely, and surreal.

The everyday monotony of life was more than enough to deal with; but it was like looking through a cracked mirror where everything is clear but you can't see...all she could feel was emptiness—like no matter what she did, it would all just fall and die. Maya couldn't even describe it any other way. Whenever she looked at her life, at her goals, and the things she knew that lay ahead, it all just felt so unimportant. So who cared if she graduated? Everyone else did, everyone got married, had kids, and got a job. Life was just meaningless. How did Riley do it? How did she see hope, an important, exciting future? There seemed to be no meaning to anything—not even the good things. It all ended at some point, anyway. What do you do with that, huh? Everyone went through life like it was just a movie; where they knew what their obligation was, and how to complete it. Maya would know too, someday...she would grow up and make a life for herself. But, it was all so empty and—numb. She didn't feel anything; just lost...so lost. Not knowing what to do, or why life even mattered at this point. Maya Hart was a wanderer, a lost soul—just waiting for life to push her through its trials and joys. And she couldn't make herself feel any different...she had tried. But, every morning she'd look in the mirror, and wonder what she had to offer. Maya wanted to do something with her life, yes; but what? She didn't want to just be the cookie cutter human, with their life already planned out for them; and stretching out like a dismal, straight road...she wanted to do something—Maya wanted to be important. Yes, everyone said that no matter how small the things you do in life, you're still important. Crap, lies, fake, illusions...that's all it was. Because how could she possibly be satisfied with what life offered her? How did everyone else seem to be? Why did they just go along, not taking any action to make something of themselves or leave their mark on the world? Maya needed to be somebody, to do something important. Well, maybe that was why every kid wanted to be an actress, or a NBA basketball player; because deep in their hearts and sub-conscious, they wanted to be something other than a lump of meaningless life...but then they grew up, and let themselves conform to the to the world and became people that were really just sheep following a repetitive pattern of live and die. That was it.

She didn't want to get through life; she wanted to live. Her mom had told her that...and she had insisted that it was better to get it over and done with. She was right, but Maya also knew that you didn't just get options handed to you conveniently...which was why she still had to choose the cookie cutter version. what that? To live or just get through life? Because as much as she believed in be something special, she knew it was another unattainable feat, and one that was unrealistic. It's always possible; everything's possible. Maya remembered when she was little, and she would pretend that her closet was a portal to another world—a world where she could do whatever she wanted. She wished on that dream so hard, it was on her mind daily, and she dreamed about it sub-consciously...it was like that. Something that was so amazing and lovely— something that was a dream. Something that was unreachable in any respect or form. In any way you looked at it.

So, that was her reasoning. Maya wasn't going to achieve greatness or even the world's standard of greatness...what the world believed in was something she didn't want to be a part of. Because she already knew she couldn't possibly amount to anything. There was very little chance of her succeeding, let alone figure out how she could be different than everyone else. But, did she have a choice? To get through the tedious, monotony she had to—she had to believe in what the world said. What the sheep and liars and fakes did. Because if she had any chance of surviving this cookie cutter society, she had to think like them, she had to act like them...otherwise she would be worse off than before. She couldn't achieve greatness, and even if she did, it would still be empty. Because what did it really mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And she didn't know how to get to something—or how to make something out of nothing. She wasn't even sure if Riley did...she couldn't tell if she was happy with the world's standards, or she was really figuring it out.

Glancing at her picture, she had the sudden inspiration to do something else. Maya pulled out her phone, flipped to a new page in her one remaining sketchbook, and began to sketch a beautiful picture of the ocean she had taken on her trip. As soon as paintbrush hit paper, she knew something was different about this picture. She barely noticed the sun setting slowly behind her as she worked, but before too long, it was completely gone, and her room was almost bathed completely in inky darkness.

And that's when she took a moment to notice her art. Barely breathing, she took in the curves, lines, and edges in the artwork, and found that it was actually gorgeous. Was it perfect? No, of course not. But it was art, her art.

So, maybe all it took was time. Time to realize she needed to change, time to get back to how she was before, time to repair damaged friendships. Maya smiled, and carefully set the piece of paper on her desk. She could do this.

"Hey, kiddo." Shawn knocked on the closed door, completely startling her, and causing her to drop her glass of water.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath, as she dove to the ground, and began mopping it up with the first thing she could find. "Come in, Shawn."

He opened the door to find her on her hands and knees, and winced.

"Sorry...did I scare you?"

"No. I'm just clumsy."

"And stubborn," he said with a grin.

Maya leaned back on her heels. "What did you want?"

"Well, I was curious how your trip went," Shawn said as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Fine."

"That's it? Nothing exciting happened?"

"Nope." She went back to her cleaning. Maya didn't want to tell anyone about her fight with her dad, or her newfound sense of hope.

"I find that hard to believe," Shawn snorted. "But, I'm not going to fight with Ms. Stubborn today, so I'll just move on."

"Gee, thanks." Maya finished her drying, and then sat back on her heels, looking expectantly at Shawn.

"I guess I should tell you what I really came here for."

"Which is?" Maya looked up curiously.

"I wanted to make sure you and I were okay...I want to help you, but I also don't want to push you away and I'm a little concerned that I've done that."

"How?"

"I don't know…every time we meet, we end up in an argument or something," Shawn said awkwardly, obviously not comfortable. "Like on Thanksgiving, and then last month."

"Yes, I remember."

He cleared his throat. "Well, I also wanted to bring up your mother and I."

The blonde looked up.

"I understand that you don't want her to get hurt, but I don't believe that's necessary...I have no intention of leaving, and I am very fond of both of you." He chuckled a bit. "So, I'm asking if you'll give me a chance."

"I already have. From the moment you entered my life, I've given you a chance...I didn't mean to—and in hindsight I should have been more careful with putting my trust in you—but, I believed in you. Still do, even though I don't like it."

Shawn smiled, and noticeably relaxed. "Thanks, kiddo. That means a lot."

"But, that doesn't mean you can slack off!" she warned. "If you hurt her in anyway, things will get ugly fast."

"I'm not going to do that," he said softly. "And you aren't concerned about yourself?"

"No. I know I can deal with it."

Okay, that was a lie too. If Shawn ever hurt her or left, she knew she would be crushed...but she wasn't about to admit that; she'd already said more than she liked.

He gazed at her, calculating her actions and watching her face.

"Maya?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm here for you. If you ever want to talk."

"I know," she answered grimly.

And she would, just not now.

* * *

"Calm down, Riles. It wasn't even that good of a dare anyway...you guys all suck at this!"

"Hey!" Zay protested. "That was my idea!"

"I don't retract my former statement." Maya smirked.

They were all in the kitchen gathered around a smeared plate of bananas and mayo, with Maya being the one who held it. She tried not to show her disgust at the sandwich she had just eaten, and she appeared to be doing a good job, but now her stomach threatened to make her vomit.

"Okay, fine. Show us what a "good" dare is," Lucas challenged, as they all headed back to the living room.

"Well, Huckleberry since you were the one to suggest it, I'll ask you." Maya smiled with fake innocence. "Dare or dare?"

"What about me—" Zay started; not pleased that he hadn't been asked yet, especially since they had been playing for a half-hour now.

She held up a hand, without even looking at the boy. "Sundance?"

"Don't I get a choice?"

"Yes, dare...or if you're feeling adventurous, dare," she said sarcastically.

"Gee, I don't know. How about dare?" Lucas answered in a similar tone.

"Great!" the blonde grinned. "I dare you to let someone draw whatever they want on your face."

"How is that a good dare?" Zay asked.

"Then I guess I pick you." Lucas looked at her.

"Oh." The darker skinned boy realized, and then chuckled a little bit. He was thinking of cowboys and cactuses dotting his friend's face.

Maya on the other hand was nervous, though not noticeably so. She had managed to sketch that ocean landscape earlier, but could she do it again? Riley was wondering how Maya would accomplish the feat as well, although she didn't have the fortunate knowledge of knowing that her friend had managed to sketch something recently. Lucas didn't know did he? Well, obviously not...but why would Maya suggest that anyway?

"Nah, let someone else do it, Ranger Rick," she piped up.

"You're the artist," the boy said slowly, very puzzled by the girl's hesitation.

She was stuck. And there was no way to get out of it, so Maya did what she had to do. She got up, grabbed a sharpie from who knows where, and walked over to Lucas.

"Continue the game," she said, kneeling in front of him.

"You don't actually have to sit down, you know," he smirked.

"Shut up, I don't want to stand the whole time." She uncapped the pen. "And stop with all the short jokes."

"Okay. I choose Zay."

"Finally." He threw up his hands.

"Truth or dare?"

"Um, truth."

"You guys are all cowards," Maya sing songed, as she drew above Lucas's eyebrow.

"Whatever," Zay scowled.

"Hey, Maya." Lucas looked up at her, trying not to move his head.

"Hmm?"

"Be nice, please."

"You mean with my drawings? Oh, Huckleberry you can't put a boundary on art!" she smiled.

He scoffed, and turned his attention back to Zay.

"How about…have you ever kept a secret about someone in this room?"

The boy's face grew smug, and his grin was just a little too wide and knowing for Maya.

"Yes, I have."

"Really?" Lucas's cocked his head, much to the artist's annoyance. "Did you eventually tell everyone?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't known it for that long." Zay drummed his fingers. "Well, one of them at least."

Lucas's face turned to one of realization—though not about what everyone else knew. He had just come to the conclusion that he had asked a stupid question; he had given Zay the leniency to hint at his liking Maya. What had happened to think before you speak, again?

Farkle and Riley were exchanging looks of their own, and then looking between Lucas and Zay. They were curious to see what the latter would reveal and how much. No one bothered to check on Maya's facial expressions though, which she was just fine with. She drew a circle underneath Lucas's hairline, not even really paying attention to what she was drawing, and instead thinking about Zay's answer. Did Zay know? Did everyone know; was she that obvious? To her knowledge only Farkle knew, and she planned to keep it that way—but, Zay had seemed so sly and smug about the question, that she really wondered if he had any idea about her feelings.

"Okay, that's great. Your turn to ask someone." Lucas hoped that would be enough to move the conversation along and avoid the subject he had so stupidly brought up.

"No, no, no." He waggled a finger. "You asked, and so obviously you want to know my answer."

"You already did. Next?"

Maya tried to tune them out, but it didn't work. Stop talking Zay, stop talking, stop—oh, who was she kidding? That boy never shut his mouth! Focusing on her drawing, she bit her lip, and leaned back briefly to inspect it. Luckily no one was paying attention yet, and so she had time to adjust or cover up what she could to make it somewhat presentable.

But, it wasn't needed. Maya blinked as if her eyes were deceiving her, but the art remained in front of her. It was good...not to be said it was amazing, but—it could be classified as actual art. It appeared the game had changed for her.

"...c'mon don't you want to know more?" Zay asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Guys, can we just move on?" Farkle spoke up, a little tired of the relentless back and forth.

"Yah, he answered the question, so it's time to keep going," Riley agreed, hoping the change in topic would avoid the awkwardness that was sure to follow if Zay was allowed to keep going. As much as she wanted her friends to be happy, she had a feeling they wouldn't appreciate their secrets being blurted out in front of one another.

Speaking of which, how was Maya doing? Riley turned to look at her friend, and caught her staring at Lucas's forehead. She glanced at it too, and—oh.

"Peaches?" She breathed.

Maya snapped out of her daze. "Hmm?"

"That's amazing."

"Thanks." She swallowed, and capped the sharpie.

"...and Zay I don't care if you think you should tell "whoever" you're talking about—" Lucas noticed everyone staring at his forehead. "What?"

"Get him a mirror," Farkle suggested.

"Oh, no. How bad is it?" Lucas groaned.

"Why don't you just look at it?" Riley handed him a small hand mirror.

Lucas held it up to his face, and fell silent. Okay, so he wasn't expecting that. Instead of Texas themed icons; gorgeous mandalas, vines, and dots graced his skin. The art spread all across his forehead, down the bridge of his nose, and across his cheeks. How had she drawn all that so quickly?

"A little girly, but I like it." He grinned teasingly at the small girl next to him.

"So it fits," she smiled back sweetly.

"How were you able to do that, Maya?" Riley asked quietly.

Her grin faded, and she shook her head. "I don't know, honey. I've just had a bit more luck lately, I guess."

"Well, she is an artist, guys." Lucas shrugged. "They have skills, you know, and they can draw fast."

"That's not what we're talking about," Farkle sighed.

Zay and Lucas gave each other confused glances, and tried to decipher their other friend's words. What did they all know that they didn't, and why did it seem to be a silent secret between those three?

"Would you care to elaborate?" Zay cleared his throat.

"Oh, um..." Riley glanced at Maya who shrugged. "Our little artist here has been having some trouble being able to paint."

The blonde snorted. "That's an understatement, I haven't been able to paint for the last 3 months." she bit her lip before deciding to divulge her fortune at artwork earlier that day. "Well, except for the thing I was able to—"

Lucas looked at her, interrupting her sentence. "Is that why you got upset that day in art class? And why you destroyed all your paintings?"

"What?" Riley exclaimed, leaning forward as if not trusting her ears the first time.

Maya shot Lucas a look. "Great job, Huckleberry."

"You didn't tell her?" He scrunched his face in confusion.

"Obviously not." The brunette's face portrayed her hurt. "She doesn't tell me much of anything anymore."

"I thought you two made up." Zay pointed at the girls.

"We did. Don't you remember our discussion?" Riley let out a sigh of exasperation.

"What discussion?" Maya asked suspiciously.

"The one we had while you were gone," she answered without thinking.

Everyone grew still and froze in anticipation. What had she just done?

"Are you kidding me?" The small girl got up, clearly understanding everyone's silence. "You all went behind my back to talk about me? To figure out how to fix me? You know what, that's it. I'm leaving."

She didn't even try to hide her anger; she just stalked out the door, slamming it behind her. So much for talking to Lucas.

The aforementioned boy clenched his fists, his mind torn between two obligations. How was he supposed to choose between his friends and Maya, right now? Then the door creaked open, and everyone whipped their heads around. The blonde seethed as she stomped to the bedroom, grabbed her bag, and then made her way to the front door again. Lucas had to make a decision right then and there, here was his second chance…but was she right, though? Did she have a right to be mad, or was she just overreacting? Should he go after her, or stay with his other friends to figure out to fix it, fix her? Oh, no.

That decided his choice.

And as he left, everyone else remained in their statue like positions...because everyone recognized it, even if not to the full extent. They all knew in their hearts that Lucas's small decision had started something...and no one knew what it was. Only that it wasn't good.


	31. Understanding

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed. Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)  
**_

 _ **Omg, guys I am so sorry for the super late update, but I've been a little uninspired lately...I will try to post a chapter a month at the least, preferably once every 2 weeks or so. I'm trying to get back on track, I promise!**_

 _ **In other matters, I just started writing a Hunger Games fanfic: The 76th Rose, and I'd appreciate it SO much if you guys would check that out! Thanks so much for your continued support!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Understanding  
**

"Maya, stop!"

She stormed down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets and her face a brilliant shade of red. There was no way she was talking to him. Him and all the rest of them. She had _just_ made up with Riley, for heaven's sake! So much for that.

"Please, I need to talk to you," Lucas called after her, having to walk quickly to catch up.

"I have nothing to say to you," she reluctantly muttered.

"Just let me explain something."

"Why? Why should I let you?"

"Because I'm your friend, and you should give me a chance. I came after you instead of staying with them."

"Gee, thanks," the hurt blonde said sarcastically. "Look, I didn't even want you to come after me anyway, so why don't you just go back now? That will make everyone happy."

"Not me." Lucas protested.

She stopped, though still not looking at him, and instead watched her breath float in the chilly air as she sighed. He looked down at her, trying to decide what to say and how to convince her to listen. This was too important to just ignore or give up easily, so he had a battle ahead of him.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," he started.

Maya snorted. "So, going behind my back isn't bad?"

"We didn't necessarily go behind your back."

The small girl turned around, her nose and ears already red from the cold. "Then what do you call waiting until I leave the state to talk about me, huh?"

"We just wanted to help you," Lucas said.

"I don't need help!" she shouted, ignoring the raised eyebrows from passersby.

He released a sigh of frustration and ran an anxious hand through his short hair. The bright lights and noisy conversations of the city were annoying, and he didn't want to talk here, but he knew he might not have another chance to talk to Maya. So, he sucked it up and leaned down so nobody else would eavesdrop on their conversation.

"We would do this for anyone else too and you know that."

She didn't answer.

"You _have_ done that—with Riley, and I'm sure you've talked about other people when they're not around," Lucas reminded.

"It's not the same, you stupid Cowboy," she scowled. "You deliberately talked about me behind my back because I'm just a problem you all need to fix."

"You've said that before and we've already had this conversation." Lucas was getting frustrated.

"But, it's true, isn't it? Why else would you have a "secret meeting" about me?" The blonde pursed her lips. "That wasn't the first one either, I'm guessing."

"Yes." He wasn't going to lie and make things worse.

She nodded. "Okay. Good to know."

Turning around again, she began walking through the sea of people, but Lucas groaned and ran after her before she could get very far. Clutching her arm, he maneuvered her past a group of rowdy teenagers, and walked her to a bench behind a restaurant. Maya's eyes showed her anger and annoyance at being dragged along and yet she surprisingly didn't try to run away.

"I'm not letting you get away from this," Lucas explained. "Yes, you have a right to be mad, that's fair. But just know that it was all done with your best interests at heart."

"To who, Ranger Rick?" she asked quietly, her voice raw with emotion. She wasn't even trying to hide at this point, he could see right through her anyway—though heaven knew how or why.

He drew back at the question and suddenly understood more in one sentence than he had in 30.

"Maya, what's really going on?"

"Nothing," she said, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't even want to talk to you right now, okay?" Maya immediately regretted her words however, as she had promised herself she would do exactly what she just said she didn't want to do.

"There's something else going on," he insisted. "Why haven't you been able to paint, and why am I just now hearing about this? Why can't you and Riley make up? Why do you seem to be getting better, but then when it's just you and me, you change?"

She looked up at him with the biggest, saddest eyes he had ever seen. "I can't tell you that, Lucas."

His own eyes crinkled as she used his name and the air suddenly grew colder as she continued.

"What I can tell you is that what you guys are doing—or did—hurts a whole lot more than you think it would. Because if I could count on someone in my life, it would be you and Riley and Farkle and Zay."

"You can," he whispered.

"No, I can't." She laughed bitterly, and looked up at the brilliant, white moon to her left. "It's life, you know? I get it now and I can't believe how incredibly stupid I was for believing you would all just be there for me."

"I don't understand—"

Maya brought her eyes back to his face sharply. "Look, here's the gist of it all: I don't want you to butt into my life, I want you to leave it alone."

"Are you just not going to hang out with us anymore?" Lucas scoffed.

"No, I will. I'll make up with you, with Riley, with everyone else." The small girl let out a heavy breath. "But I can bet you the same thing will happen again, Sundance—and then we'll make up again, and everything will be hunky dory until the next time. It's a cycle, don't you see? And I'm the one who gets tossed and turned each time."

Lucas swallowed and didn't know what to say, so silence hung in the air until Maya filled it once more.

"So, here's to friendship." she reached forward and nudged him with her elbow, a cracked smile on her lips. "And to next time."

With that, she turned around and walked away from him quickly without a second glance. Lucas on the other hand couldn't take his eyes off of her. This was a complicated mess they found themselves in and with each step closer to Maya, he was thrown in deeper. Which was more dangerous than he had thought before because he also had the undeniable urge to protect her, and do whatever it took to make her world happy. To actually see a smile on her face, or her eyes light up when she did something she loved. He hadn't seen either of those for a long time now. And he felt that it was somehow his fault too and he hated that. Lucas didn't know how to advance in the complicated game they had created for themselves and he reluctantly admitted to himself that the next move that came was the same one they had been using for awhile.

The move? It was to just keep going through the game board until they hit another obstacle and had to deal with it. Maya had been right in that case. And unfortunately he knew Josh was right too, that sooner or later things were going to blow and it wasn't going to be good. Lucas had seen Maya break down—which was something he never wanted to see again—and it had been a terrible event. So he could only imagine how bad things were going to be at the end of this game. But, what other choice did he have? There was no way to confront this head on, it was too big and tangled and messy to decipher or try to defeat. That's why he knew he would see Maya Hart tomorrow night to do homework and why he knew she would bring her strong, perfectly calculated mask, and act like everything was alright. But, it wasn't. And everyone knew it.

Why had they all pretended otherwise when she had had her breakdown? Why were they _still_ doing it? Maybe because they had watched Maya drift further away from them and when they were able to finally grasp a piece of her, they had created an imaginary connection. They had all held onto it so tightly, they had lost it and now they were further away from her than before. Lucas was pretty sure he was the only one who saw it. And that both scared him, yet made him even more determined to protect her. While everyone was looking at that girl with bright, hopeful eyes, Lucas Friar was going to find out what Maya wanted. What she felt, and how far away she really was.

And he had never been sorrier that it took him this long to see it.

* * *

"Texas, huh?" Katy swirled the straw in her glass.

"Yes, ma'am," Lucas answered awkwardly.

"That seems random." She stood up from her slouched position and gathering up some old dishes, began to clean them. "Doesn't it?"

"Well, there's this big festival."

"I see." Katy smirked.

Zay leaned on the counter, his elbows resting on the marble. "You know what's up, don't you, Ms. H?"

"I believe I do."

"Well, good that makes it easier for us!" He grinned, lifting his hands up in celebration.

"Zay." Lucas shoved him in warning.

Katy looked over with obvious amusement. "What, you think I don't know, Lucas Friar?"

"I'm not sure ma'am, but I don't want to say anything to compromise this event from taking place."

Her smile turned to one of a softer nature and her eyes took on a proud light. "Good. I appreciate the effort, you two."

"You know." Lucas drummed his fingers anxiously on his leg.

"Yeah, I know." Katy smiled warmly and cocked her head at the boy in front of her. "Well, I'd love for her to go. I'm sure we can scrounge up some money, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Ms. Hart."

She considered him one last time, and Lucas had to force himself not to squirm under the gaze that had been surveying him throughout this whole conversation. "Bring Maya back home safety, okay?"

"I will," he promised. He knew she wasn't just talking about the physical aspect. All of Maya back home? _That_ was what he hoped to achieve.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _You know, there's something truly amazing about Lucas Friar and it's not just his dreamy, green eyes. It's the way he's so loyal to his friends—like me—cares about what's right—like me—is very positive and uplifting—like me—and all these things are why I like him._

 _So, why doesn't he like me? Could someone please explain that to me? Look, I'm not blind, I can tell he likes Maya. But it stings. I know I'm not entitled to my first crush, or any boy for that matter, but what do you do with this kind of thing? You can't just let go of your feelings!_

 _I hate how Farkle always is able to tell those things—_

"Hey, Riley."

She lifted her head from the book in front of her and instinctively snapped it quickly shut.

"Hi, Farkle. What are you doing here?" That was serendipitous.

"I needed to talk to you," he sighed, sliding in through the open window to sit next to her.

"What about?" She asked curiously, scooting over to create more room for the new arrival.

He looked nervous, but Riley chose to ignore it. "Well, you and Lucas, if we're being frank."

The brunette shifted awkwardly but attempted to keep her face void of emotions like she knew Maya always did. "Okay," she said slowly.

Farkle squinted his eyes and examined her face, much like a scientist examines a species and Riley calmly and patiently waited it out. He did it a lot.

"What are you the most upset about right this very moment?" He finally asked.

"Maya, of course," Riley answered without hesitation.

"Why?"

The brunette lifted her pointed chin and raised her eyebrows. "Because she's my best friend, Farkle. Why would you ask me that? You already know the answer."

"True," he agreed. "But there's a point. What you miss most is Maya's friendship, because you guys both have an incredible bond that surpasses most friendships. When people begin to lose something they either let it go, fight hard for it, or look for it somewhere else." Farkle looked into Riley's big doe eyes to confirm that she was listening to him seriously. Confident in what he saw, the boy continued his speech. "You have fought day and night, physically and emotionally for Maya Hart—for over 3 months. We're tired, you're tired. You're looking for what you have lost in other places, Riley."

She recoiled backwards, almost like he had shocked her with an electrified wire. "What do you mean?"

"Lucas. Friar." Farkle grimly stated.

"I liked him way before this whole thing—" she began, shaking her head vigorously and a little over exaggeratedly.

"Yes, but he's the one of the closest things you can get to Maya," he explained gently. "It's nothing unusual, but I need you to understand that you are approaching this wrong."

"You're saying the only reason I'm still attached to Lucas is because he's linked to Maya?" Riley visibly shrunk back like a sunflower curling away from the harsh wind and rain.

"That and he was the first boy you liked, but yes—that is what I've observed." Farkle slid closer and reached for her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her facial features were scrunched up in disbelief and confusion, and she was staring blankly at the carpeted floor.

"No, you're not." Farkle furrowed his brow. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, you needed to tell me that and I needed to hear it." Riley turned her head and rested it on his shoulder. Her mind was admittedly whirling however. For most of her life she had believed that all life would offer her would be good things, for the most part at least, but definitely things she agreed with. Riley had somehow gotten it into her head that she was to inherit the fairy tale ending her mother and father had acquired, and that everyone would actually bend their worlds around hers.

Laden with guilt, she swallowed hard. She was so incredibly selfish and immature. That was probably why Lucas didn't like her back, although she didn't blame him. Or did she not actually him? _Ugh, thanks Farkle,_ she thought. Then Riley began to subconsciously break it down. Lucas liked Maya, Maya liked Lucas, thus they were directly related or linked. Lucas was great, her first crush, her first kiss, her first date...but—maybe Farkle was right. It was time to let go, perhaps and move on. But, it was going to be hard to just automatically remove years worth of feelings. Or according to her friend sitting next to her, she had already been absentmindedly doing just that.

"You're being very mature about all this," the boy interrupted her musings, causing her to smile as she had just been putting herself down for lacking that specific attribute.

She gave him a short laugh. "Thanks, Farkle."

They sat in silence briefly, before she shifted her gaze to his face. "So, what do we do now?"

"Give Charlie Gardner a chance," he offered gingerly.

Riley sighed. "Okay, I'll give other boys a chance. I haven't been very fair to Charlie, have I?" She played with her ring and tried to replace the image in her mind of Lucas with Charlie.

"No," Farkle admitted. "But I'm glad this was so easy."

Riley snorted, which luckily he did not catch, but then decided to further explain her feelings to her friend. "Actually, I was just writing about Lucas," she said, lifting her head and straining to snatch the book up. "I was writing about how much I like him. How much we're alike." Farkle cocked his head and allowed her to talk patiently. "But, all it took was you to get me to see where I was wrong. Why _was_ it so easy to convince me Farkle? You've been here for like 5 minutes."

He laughed. "Either you were already there and you just needed to realize it, or your mind was elsewhere and you just got the wrong person mixed up in that brain of yours."

"You mean I was thinking of someone else besides Lucas when I was writing _about_ Lucas?" Riley looked unconvinced, knowing that she was quite aware of how she felt. Usually. Right now, Farkle was mixing her up a little.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Weird phenomenon, huh?"

"No, kidding," she mumbled, first staring at the jumbled mess of handwriting before her, then at Farkle who smiled sympathetically.

"Thanks for listening," he said, but she wasn't really paying attention anymore. She just missed Maya, who was her clarity in the mix of all her confusion. Now, without her, Riley just felt so jumbled and shook with this new development in her normally calm world. _Maya come back_ , Riley thought. _I need you._

* * *

"What did you do, Lucas?"

They both jumped a little and turned to look at Mrs. Friar, who had her hands on her hips and a small smile on her face. They were currently lounging on the couch—well Lucas was—Maya was glaring at former said boy with a abnormally straight spine and pale face.

He relaxed. "Nothing, Maya here is a little afraid of horror movies."

"I'm not," she protested, shaking her head.

"Says the scream you just let out." He looked pointedly at her.

"It just jumped out!" The blonde defended.

Mrs. Friar laughed and set her purse on the counter. Inspecting the kitchen swiftly, she grinned down at the small girl.

"Well, I see you managed to keep our home intact. I'm assuming you made the popcorn?"

She scowled, and Lucas laughed as she unsuccessfully attempted to hide the bowl under a blanket.

"Yes," she muttered.

"Did you two get any homework done?"

"Yes, mama," Lucas said, and now it was Maya's turn to smirk in the background.

"Well." His mother began to put things away. "It's really nice to see you again, sweetheart. It's been awhile."

"Really? When was the last time I was here?"

"Uh, last month I think."

"That's not that long." Lucas chuckled.

"It probably doesn't feel that long because you two are always hanging out, I suppose," Mrs. Friar mused.

"Well, we have a tight group," Maya agreed.

"Yeah, Lucas talks about you guys a lot."

The blonde turned to the boy with a smug grin.

"Aw, that's so sweet Huckleberry."

The older woman pursed her lips, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "You know, he talks about you—"

"And we're done," Lucas said quickly, getting up to help his mother load the dishwasher.

Maya wasn't sure what had just happened, but she attributed it to Lucas's odd Texas heritage. Whatever odd things he did was all his Cowboy family's fault. Or his own. Why did she like him again?

"So, Maya." Mrs. Friar put a handful of forks into the dishwasher. "How's your art going?"

"You remembered?" She asked surprised, getting up to help the two.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" The woman seemed puzzled.

The blonde reached into the sink and rinsed off a plate before stacking it in alongside the others. It was a mutual agreement in the house that whenever she came over, she'd help out. She didn't mind though and Mrs. Friar appreciated it.

"I don't know." Maya shrugged. "But, I guess it's good."

Lucas gave her a pointed look and she glared at him warningly.

"Do you think you'll apply to any art colleges?"

"I don't even want to think about college." She groaned, and the other two chuckled. "I can barely paint a picture of a cat at the moment."

Mrs. Friar looked puzzled and Lucas twisted his lip as he decided how to venture into that conversation.

"Well, you did decorate my face the other day," Lucas reminded, and ran a hand through his hair anxiously. probably not realizing he left a trail of bubbles as he did so.

"What?" His mother raised an eyebrow.

"We were playing a game and she tattooed my face with marker," Lucas explained with a small smile. "But, I guess Maya is just having some trouble with art lately."

The blonde in question huffed. "Yeah, just a _little_ bit."

"Oh, come on. You said it was getting better, didn't you?"

Maya slammed a plate a little too hard into the dishwasher and then crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, but it's not good enough."

Lucas scowled. "Stop putting yourself down—"

His mother interrupted with a pat on the shoulder and a gesture to get out.

"Honey, you're not helping here. Can you finish cleaning up the living room, please?"

Lucas sighed. "Yeah."

After he left with a backward glance at Maya, Mrs. Friar went back to the dishwasher.

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay, he does that a lot."

"Excuse me?"

"It's okay, Mrs. Friar. He's just looking out for his friends, I guess."

"I guess?"

The blonde let a small laugh escape. "Yeah, I'm not really sure how I feel about the persistence, but I appreciate it. Sometimes."

"Well, if he ever bothers you, feel free to tell me. I can put him in the shed, you know." The older woman smiled warmly and handed her a bowl.

Maya put it in and looked up at her strangely. "Thanks," she said slowly.

She changed the subject. "I don't know much about your life sweetie, or what's up with your art, but I would just encourage you to keep trying."

"I know. I am."

"Do you think you could tell me a little bit about what's going on?"

"I don't know, I'm just so confused and I guess my body is picking up on my brain's distress so much that it refuses to function the way I want it too." She snorts.

Maya closed the door and switched the dishwasher on, as Mrs. Friar wiped her hands on a towel.

"Well, my advice for you would be to just allow yourself to open up and express who you are as individual without concern or worries. If art is your outlet, let it be just that. Utilize it so that you can free up your mind."

"Easier said then done, I guess." Maya swallowed.

They stood in an awkward silence, the hum of the dishwasher slightly comforting as it created a cozy atmosphere in the homey kitchen.

Mrs. Friar cleared her throat and Maya lifted her head to meet her eyes. "You know he cares about you right?" She grew serious. "Whatever you feel, and whatever is going through your head, might need some reconsideration."

"Not to be rude, Mrs. Friar, but how could you possibly know what I'm thinking?" Maya asked, pursing her lips at the statement and the touchy change in subject.

"I've found that I'm pretty good at reading people, honey. And I can't pretend to know what's going on, but something's wrong and all I can tell you is don't push away your friends. If you're going through something, this could possibly be the most important time that they could be there for you. Don't lose them."

Maya sighed and bit her lip. Wasn't that great? Somebody else who thought they knew everything about her. That wasn't to say she didn't like Mrs. Friar and she knew her pretty well, but people liked to assume. It was just human nature and she wasn't calling herself innocent either, but it sure wasn't helpful. "Thanks, Mrs. Friar," she decided on saying.

You're welcome, Maya." And with a big grin, she whispered into her ear. "Don't push him away either, okay? I think he needs you just as much as you need him." Maya politely pulled away. What was _that_ supposed to mean?


	32. Disclosures of Reluctance

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed. Please don't forget to REVIEW, and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thanks to the last guest who reviewed and thefoxdrinksalone, because without you two I wouldn't have written this chapter! I got onto my email, saw your reviews and simultaneously had my heart melted. Then, I went immediately to my word document and began to write this chapter for 2 hours. I so, so appreciate the inspiration and confidence booster I needed so this chapter could be written!**_

 _ **And this isn't to say of course that anybody's else's reviews weren't equally as effective or heart warming, because I can definitely say your confidence and support in me has helped me to write many a chapter! Love all of my readers, please continue the awesome support and enjoy Chapter 32 of Behind the Mask! :)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two: Disclosures of Reluctance 

"What's wrong, Riley?" Auggie asked, hopping into a seat.

"Nothing." She smiled sadly and handed him a green crayon.

"Thanks." He grabbed a sheet of paper and joined his sister in her coloring efforts. "Look, I may only be this many, but I know when you're upset." Auggie held up six consecutive fingers proudly as he stated this fact.

"And how did you get to be so smart?"

"I go to school, remember?"

She laughed, and finished her picture of a daisy. "Good answer."

"So...?"

"What?"

Auggie huffed, and folded his arms adorably. "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"Or what." Riley played with the ends of her hair before picking up her pictures and putting them into a pile neatly.

"Nuh-uh, you're not getting away that easily!" He got up and grabbed her sleeve, dragging her over to their couch.

"Auggie, I don't think I need to talk to you about this," she said carefully, pulling him into her lap.

"Why not? I give out good advice!"

Riley hugged him tightly. "I'm sure you do, but this is—teenager stuff."

"I'll be a teenager someday," Auggie pointed out.

"Yes, but you're not one right now. Look, buddy, I love you but I don't want to share every little thing with you."

"I guess that makes sense, everyone has secrets."

"Exactly." Riley smiled, clearly relieved.

" _But_ I like knowing secrets," he continued with a cute grin.

"Auggie baby, why don't you leave your sister alone." Her mother came in with a sympathetic smile and opened her arms to him.

He reluctantly slid off from Riley's lap and trudged over to his mother.

"But I want to know what's wrong with Riley!"

"And if she wants to tell you she will, but you got to respect her privacy, baby." She scrunched her nose and gave him a tight hug.

"Okay," he relented and glancing once more at Riley, he headed silently down the hall to his bedroom.

"So," Her mom smiled and walked over to her daughter. "You want to talk to someone who's not shorter than 4 feet?"

Riley laughed lightly. "I guess."

"Is it about Maya, sweetie?" She sat down and looked concernedly at her.

"Isn't it always?"

"Did you two get in another fight?"

"Yeah."

"I don't understand. You have always made up so quickly and now this is the 3rd or 4th _big_ fight you've had in the last couple of months." The older woman sighed.

They sat in silence for a minute, before Riley looked up from her hands and spoke up.

"Mom?"

"M-hmm?" She stroked her hair.

"When you were growing up, did you ever have a friend that you thought you'd know for the rest of your life and then one day you noticed she was gone? Like she had just slowly faded out of sight and you didn't even realize it until it was too late?"

"I don't think Maya has disappeared yet," her mother answered softly.

"Yet," Riley repeated pointedly.

Her mother let out a breath and pondered the question. "Yes, I think I did. It was around the beginning of high school and I was trying out new clubs and meeting new people—and then Sophomore year came around and I was sitting in class, thinking about homework. Then, all of a sudden, my old friend popped up in my head and I suddenly felt so lost and confused. When had she disappeared? We had always promised to be friends no matter what."

Riley furrowed her brow, and tucked her knees to her chest.

" _But_ , it was okay," her mother continued comfortingly. "Because even if she isn't in my life today, she impacted me somehow and I'm glad I got to know her. In fact, without her I probably never would have met some of the people I did, or have become who I am today."

"That makes sense, it's just..." the younger brunette faded out sadly.

"It's just what?" her mother asked gently.

"I don't want to lose Maya. I've known her for so long and she makes me a better person! How could I just let her fade away? How have I let her drift as far as _she is_ now?" she blurted. "This scares me so much! Since the start of 9th grade, all this new high school experience has proven is how fragile our friendship is! It shouldn't be fragile and I never saw it that way, mom!"

"Honey, I'm not saying you're going to lose Maya, that's not what I'm saying at all. What I want you to realize though, is that you need to figure out where the both of you are in your life and what the best thing for your friendship right now is. Is it better to leave her alone, or do you think you should confront her?"

Riley grimaced. "I've tried both and each has ended in disaster."

They both sighed and her mother tried to continue the conversation, although neither really knew how to continue. "Do you think maybe it's time now?"

"Time for what?" She twisted in her mother's embrace and looked up.

"To let adults get involved," her father spoke up, walking slowly into the living room. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing."

"You mean you were snooping," Riley accused.

"Tomato—tomahto." He waved her off and then crossed to the couch to sit beside the two.

"As to your question," the girl shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" He squinted at her in interest.

"It just means things get super complicated, that they _are_ complicated." She twirled her ring on her finger. "And I mean, it's not that bad, right?"

"Why are you asking us, Riley? Only you can answer that question and what you've said so far implicates that there is a big problem here," Her mother answered gently.

"I—I just don't want to lose her. Or let her lose herself."

"Look, we both know you guys have tried to help her out, but that's obviously not worked out for you or Maya," her father said slowly. "So, maybe it's time to take this seriously."

"We _have_ been taking this seriously," Riley retorted, sounding a little offended.

"Maybe, but do you think the whole talking about how to help her has caused more problems or has really helped?"

Riley bit her lip. "Okay, maybe you're right, but Maya doesn't want help anyway and she won't accept help from us, let alone you guys. All I really know is she's dealing with normal stuff, so why is it such a big deal? Like honestly, I'm asking myself too. Why is it changing her so much?"

"Because I'm guessing there's more behind what you actually see." Her mother took her hand.

"Then what do we do?"

"Well, I've talked to Maya briefly and I've gotten a grasp on some of what she's feeling, but I think it's time you talk. About the stuff _we_ don't see, what we don't know," she said.

Riley looked between her two parents and thought about the situation. What did Maya really need? What was going to help her best friend?

"Okay." The girl sighed. "What you need to know is that it all started in September and I'm going to need a plane ticket to Texas."

Her parents eyed her curiously at her last statement. They were very eager to know the reason for that expensive request.

* * *

Maya slowly and stupidly banged her head repeatedly on a hard, wooden desk. She was alone in her English classroom with the faint noises from the cafeteria drifting through the hallways and the warm but rare late February sunlight beating down on her back. Her blonde hair hung loosely around her slumped shoulders and her suede boots beat in time with her repetitive head banging.

She figured Lucas would be heading out soon to find her, but for the present she had this time to herself. Her absence from lunch would not go unnoticed, especially after the whole argument she had just had with Riley in the hallway before their free period. Well, it was more of Maya giving Riley the cold shoulder than an actual argument, if she was to be honest with herself. Her brunette friend had been pleading with her and she had brushed her off. Like she didn't care. Like she didn't know her. Like she wasn't her best friend.

Oh, Maya felt guilty, the weight of it resting on her shoulders alerted her to that fact. But she wasn't ready to confront her friends, especially since she absolutely knew they would attempt to bring up the topic of herself and her "problems". She was just tired, like she always was. Tired of being tossed and turned like an article of clothing in a washing machine, which was a metaphor she had already compared herself to. Maya was however convinced that she was steadily getting better, due to her increase in artistic ability as of late. If she had just one or two steady, dependable things situated in her life, she was certain she could continue her ascent to positive actions and feelings soon enough.

Just as she was contemplating this last notion, she sensed a body behind her and she heard the light tread of sneakers hitting the linoleum.

"You know you don't have to feel so responsible for me, Huckleberry." The blonde bit her raw lip, not even bothering to turn around in her desk to meet her friend's eyes. "I'm a big girl and you don't need to come running after me each time something like this happens, okay?"

"Maya, I'm just being a good friend. I care about you." Lucas furrowed his brow and contemplated the back of her head as it continued to move up and down. "Stop doing that," he finally muttered, grabbing her head and twisting it back towards his stern face. "You look like you have a mental disorder."

"Not saying that I don't," Maya attempted a joke, but Lucas didn't find it funny.

Releasing her face, he slumped back in the uncomfortable plastic seat. "Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course," she scoffed, picking at her fingernails absentmindedly, only then noticing her fingers slight shaking, which caused an annoyed scowl to flit onto her face. Dropping her hand, she rested her arms on Lucas's desk. "You can go back to lunch now," she reminded.

"I know, but I want to talk to you," Lucas said simply.

"I don't need you to look after me."

"I care about you, Maya."

"Blah, blah, blah. You've said that before," she huffed, automatically pulling out her phone from her pocket, no longer interested in the mindless banter they so often had.

"I mean it. Why won't you listen?"

Maya shook her head and flipped aimlessly through her message notifications. A small buzz notified her of an incoming text and so she clicked on it quickly, hoping Lucas would get frustrated with her and just leave.

"Maya!" He snapped a finger in front of her face. "I've been super patient and honestly really nice, but with what happened today and what you've started to admit. What you've said recently," Lucas trailed off and took his eyes off of Maya temporarily, completely caught up in his confusion and musings.

"I told you, I'm fine and am just working on getting better." She scanned her new text message as her heart sank. She quickly tilted the phone screen away from Lucas, but it didn't matter as he wasn't even paying her that much attention at the moment.

 **X:** _I don't understand you—nobody does either. One minute you're trying to hide and the next you're back to being "the rebel, over confident, Maya Hart" who gets on everyone's nerves. Could you go back to being invisible now? It's a way better look on you than the one you try to flaunt. Speaking of which, what's up with the 2 inch heels? Are you trying to look short? And those braces—ew, they make your whole face look uglier than usual. Have you heard of makeup? Heck, has any of your loser friends heard of that stuff? You all need it, just as much as you need a reality check. Yeah, I've seen you hanging around people like you belong, like you're not some worthless freak who doesn't deserve them, that you don't have a terrible home. Way to keep up the illusion—not. You're not fooling anyone, including me and including your so called friends._

Maya chewed on her lip. At this rate she was going to create a scar on the inside of her mouth if she didn't stop her nervous habit, due to the fact that she most likely bit her lip more than ten times a day.

Lucas turned back to her a couple seconds later, when he noticed her form bent protectively over her phone, causing a stab of irritation to make its way into his heart. "What are you looking at? It's really frustrating when I'm trying to talk to you." Lucas sighed in exasperation, reaching for her phone.

"No!" she shrieked, sliding far away from him.

He recoiled and looked at her suspiciously. "What are you hiding?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing," Maya mumbled, trying desperately to delete the message. Why wasn't the button working?

"Liar."

"Stop calling me that!" The blonde whipped her head up, momentarily giving Lucas an advantage to gain her phone.

"Thank you!" he announced, delicately snatching it from her hands.

"No, Lucas, please don't," Maya pleaded, her face unusually pale. Who knew how he would react to this?

That only convinced him that whatever was on her phone needed to be seen. Lucas clicked on the open tab and cocked his head as he read through the message. As he scanned the words, his face darkened and he clenched his teeth. No way was this happening right now.

"Maya," he seethed, gritting his teeth as he finished reading the text message.

"Please don't do anything," she gulped, inching away from him. "I don't want you to ruin your image, okay?"

"How long has this been going on?" Lucas ignored her pleading.

To lie or not to lie, that is the question. Maya silently prayed that the bell would ring and she would be set free from this complicated web. Ring. Ring. Ring—

"Maya!" The boy turned her to look at him. "I am not letting you leave without answering me. How long?"

"Since summer," she mumbled this softly, looking down at her jeans.

Lucas drummed on his leg. "What? Speak up, please."

"Last summer, Lucas." She lifted her head and stared directly into his green eyes before losing her confidence and bowing it down once again over her lap.

"Why? Why didn't you tell somebody, Maya?" Lucas roughly raised her chin again and what she saw this time scared her. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in the sense that there was too much concern and worry in his eyes. She didn't want him to care this much, it was too puzzling to believe that a boy could possibly harbor such worry over her.

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Don't feed me that." The boy shook his head. "Do you know how much this has probably affected you? How much it has contributed to what's going on with you right now?"

"This is a completely different issue, Lucas. I can deal just fine with these stupid texts, they don't affect me in any way." Maya gently took her phone back and tried to ignore his eyes boring into her head.

"You're tough, Maya Hart." She looked away. "But you're not that tough." Lucas got up and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"What does that mean? Where the heck are you going?" Maya shot up out of her seat.

"The bell's about to ring," he answered simply.

"That's it? You're not going to ask who's sending these?" The small girl folded her arms and waited for the catch to be announced.

"Nope."

"Why not?" she called as he started walking out of the door and down the hallway.

"Because you don't know either," Lucas commented over his shoulder, hiding his anger effectively for those who didn't know him well. Maya however saw the clenched fists, the locked jaw, and the almost arrogant lift of his shoulders. Those weren't good signs.

"Don't do anything!" she yelled, just as the bell rang loudly. It automatically drowned out her words and any ridiculous hope she had of reaching Lucas. Maya just felt more sick to her stomach than before.

* * *

"The event is on March 16th," Lucas stated, plunking down his untouched cup. "Who can go?"

"I can," Farkle said slowly, eyeing his friend with confusion and concern. Since they had met up today, Lucas had been cold, sullen, and almost scarily oblivious to the rest of the world's comings and goings. He was so caught up in some fantasy, that his eyes would momentarily become glassy and he would stare off at a wall for ten minutes before Riley would call him back. To put it lightly, Lucas Friar wasn't acting normal and they certainly couldn't have that along with an abnormal Maya.

"You already know I can," Zay remarked, also watching his friend's odd aloofness with anxiety.

Riley sipped her milkshake, tasting the tang of strawberries, but not really relishing in its sweetness. "I can go if I give up my allowance for a couple of months, which of course is fine with me. It is a lot of money to spend."

"Good." Lucas looked immensely relieved as he sank into the couch. "I still haven't heard back from Maya's mom, but she did say that she was pretty confident that she could procure some money soon."

"Lucas." Farkle couldn't stand it anymore and so he groaned as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"What?" He looked slightly startled at the sound of his name being thrown to the cold and tense atmosphere surrounding them.

"What in the world is going on? What happened?"

Lucas closed his eyes briefly. Boy, that little guy was perceptive. Of course, Farkle would be able to tell something was wrong, Lucas had never been good at hiding this specific emotion.

His dilemma with this situation was whether or not he should actually disclose the information he had just gained earlier this morning. Would it make things worse? Would his friends attempt to solve it, much like he was tempted to do all through the rest of his classes? Or would they back off if he convinced them to do so? Because if they got it into their heads that they needed to avenge their darling Maya, not only would it potentially further damage their friendship with said girl, it would only pile on another thing to deal with. That and the fact that once Riley had a goal or an idea, she was like a dog with a bone and don't you dare and try take it away from her.

"Lucas!" Riley was shouting now and drawing unwanted attention from fellow customers, including a warning glare from her mother who was now watching them warily.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking down at his hands. "So, when do you want to ask Maya about the Texas trip? We have to decide this week or next."

"Lucas Friar," Zay was surprisingly the one who voiced this firm comment. "You better tell us what the hell is going on, because you're starting to scare me. How bad is it?"

"Language, Zay," Riley reprimanded half-heartedly, though only staring at Lucas.

The conflicted blond groaned and ran a nervous hand through his hair, making a bold decision with said action. "Okay, if I tell you, none of this comes back to Maya. We do not discuss it, we do not take any action regarding it, we do not speak of it to adults. Got it?" The other three nodded their heads tentatively, their concern only growing with his ambiguous sentence. Lucas took a deep breath and went for the kill. "Maya's being bullied."

Riley's hand went to her small mouth, while Farkle and Zay's equally astonished reactions took more time to register. But, their shock and immense melancholy was displayed evidently on their drawn, angry faces.

"Please tell me that's a joke," Riley whispered, not believing her own question. Lucas just shook his head, his throat dry and clogged up for unknown reasons. "Then you're telling us we can't do anything about it? Are you kidding me?" She stood up and crossed over to Lucas's seat, searching his eyes with an intense perusal that startled even him. "And who is doing it? Have they hurt her? How long has it been going on?"

"I don't know, I desperately hope not—for their sake." Here Lucas clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. "And she said it had been going on since last summer."

"Right before September," Farkle muttered in disbelief. "How could she not tell us?"

"You didn't tell us about the bullying," Riley turned towards him with a comforting hand. "And neither did I."

"So, that's why you're so eager to get her to Texas," Zay sighed.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed. "I found that stupid text on her phone and I can tell you, I was very tempted to skip all my classes and devote my time to find the sender of those messages."

"Maya doesn't know who is sending them either?" Farkle inquired.

Lucas shook his head gravely.

"I think I can find out." His eyes took on a fiery determination and if Lucas hadn't spoken, Farkle would have marched right over to Maya's house and snatched her phone out of her hand.

"Not yet," Lucas reminded, much to his chagrin. "Oh, I know, Farkle. I get how you're feeling right now, but we can't make any move to fix it or else this whole Texas thing would just blow up in our faces if Maya found out."

"No," Riley exclaimed, planting her head in her outstretched fingers. "Poor Peaches. Oh, Maya, how could you not tell me?" She sounded so mournful, the rest of the quartet couldn't help but feel especially sorry for the desperate brunette.

"Let's just get her to Texas, okay?" Lucas gained their attention once more, his tired but strong voice commanding. "Let's just get that far."


	33. Decisions Are Happening in New York City

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, reviewed, and followed! Please don't forget to REVIEW and enjoy! (Edited by Chereche!)**_

 _ **Fun fact time: Remember those two girls from Season 3 Episode 7 where Maya goes and tries to find herself (when she goes down to the park)? Coco and Jazz are loosely based off on them, though at first it was more of a sub-conscious writer's decision, only later becoming intentional. I really liked the idea of her having connections with people from her past that she longer had tons of contact with.**_

 _ **Also, random thank you to all of you who have kept up with this story. I recently re-read my first chapter and inwardly cringed, so thank you so much for sticking with it regardless of my earlier writing ability! XD If I ever have the TIME or inclination, I will probably try and re-write the first "couple" (*cough 30 chapters cough*) ones.  
**_

 _ **Reveal for bully is coming soon. You guys have any clue as to who it is? ;)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three: Decisions Are Happening in New York City

"Texas."

"Texas," she confirmed.

Maya snorted and adopted a look of skeptical disinterest, though inside she was curious-albeit still suspicious-about the subject. "And what makes you think I want to fly all the way down to the Cowboy's playground?"

Her mother's lips briefly quirked up at her daughter's humorous comment, but she managed to maintain her serious demeanor and proceeded to explain further. "I don't know, Maya. It's a great opportunity to take time to spend with your friends."

The younger blonde stretched an arm over her mother's bent form and snatched a bowl of pungent red flakes. "Because I don't see them every day?" It was a pointed yet jovial comment, one which she took careful consideration as to the tone she displayed, but it was hiding her true feelings—as usual. She saw her friends every day, however due to the unresolved tension between their scattered group, there was no talking or even friendly glances exchanged. Just silent acknowledgments and longing looks from the opposite side of their conflict.

"Don't you dare put paprika in the pasta," her mother exclaimed, warning her pleadingly as she snagged the bowl mid-way in the air. Unfortunately, this caused part of the shallow bowl to tip and spill part of its contents into the dish of macaroni. She turned to her daughter with a genuine exasperation, causing Maya to forget her secret gloominess and instead prompting a burst of loud chuckles.

Her mother swatted her arm gently with a wooden spoon, shook her head, and turned to the red-yellow pan in front of her with resentment. "You ruined it," she sighed, poking the noodles with her spoon.

Maya managed to cease her giggling as she deftly snuck the tipped bowl from the table's surface. "Have you even tried it? It's delicious." The blonde dumped the rest into the dish, and her mother immediately threw up her hands and scooted around her daughter, heading for the living room.

"Fine, you can finish dinner," she called over her shoulder, plopping onto a much needed cushion, tired from running around doing errands all day.

"Good." Maya opened their cabinet doors. "I'm adding a little thyme to it, then."

Her mother twisted forcefully in her chair, watching her move around their diminutive kitchen. "Despite what you apparently believe, you're not a chef, Maya Penelope."

She shrugged, getting out a tablespoon from an extremely cluttered drawer to her left. "I am now."

Her mother began to speak once again on her cooking abilities, but instead chose to shake her head and approach the previous conversation they had been having. "I have money for the ticket."

Maya slumped down as she glared at the woman sitting in front of her, annoyed at the fact that this topic was one they she insisted they had. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"What's wrong with this subject? What's going on?" Her eyebrows furrowed, and she craned her neck back to study her.

"Nothing, I just don't want to go," she lied, sliding to the right to escape her mother's gaze, instantly letting out a long breath privately.

"Well, if that's it, then I wish you'd just think about it." She clearly didn't believe a word she said, but at least she silently agreed to leave it alone. "I mean, what else are you going to be doing for spring break? Sitting around, watching re-runs of TV shows, and eating us out of house and home?"

"Sounds good to me," Maya commented, mixing her concoction of herbs, cheese, and noodles.

"Come on, you're being silly. What's wrong with Texas? Why don't you want to go?"

Immediately visions of a campfire and a certain Huckleberry flooded her brain. "Do you even remember that I was in a triangle?" Maya awkwardly asked, not used to broaching this subject often with her mother, although it wasn't the only reason for her reluctance.

"Ah, yes. Texas." She could hear the smile in her mother's tone, and it made her irritable. Maya yanked open the door to the oven and plunked the dish onto the rack, slamming it shut. "Okay, I see this is a sensitive topic," she continued cautiously, glancing at her daughter.

"No, really?" Maya said sarcastically, perching on the edge of their counter, not wanting to walk closer to her mother at this point in the battle they found themselves in.

She shot her an ill received sympathetic glance, then ran a hand over her face. "Please just tell me you'll make a decision."

"Fine," Maya conceded reluctantly.

"By tonight would be nice," she added cautiously, gauging her response cautiously.

"Tonight?" Maya shot her mother a pointed glare, her response loud and exasperated.

"Yes, we need to buy the tickets and we've waited long enough."

"Why do you need me to go to Texas so badly?" Now she was growing suspicious and wary at her mother's insistence. She could see it in her mother face, the immediate nervousness and concern as she asked, which didn't help calm the skeptical feeling she had about the motive behind the trip.

"Like I said, I just think you should spend time with your friends." Her mother's eyes revealed the swirling thoughts scrambling for some excuse or theory.

"Really. That's it? Because I could spend time with them here you know," Maya rebutted, raising her eyebrows, not hiding her suspect.

The older of the two women in the standstill lowered her bright eyes and let her slanted bangs obscure her twisted features, reminding her of a habit she once possessed in her teenage years. How was she to supposed to withhold the group's plan without creating more tension and anger in her young daughter? Maya already had plenty of that simmering in her, and with part of that deriving from a place of hurt caused by her, she couldn't afford to be the root of more.

"Mom." Maya's voice was laced with irritation as she leaned forward, her elbows pressing into the skin of her legs.

She raised her head. "I think that it would benefit you to get away from New York," she said honestly. Maya recoiled in surprise and puzzlement. "You need a change of environment," her mother continued wistfully.

"Why?" Maya queried softly and anxiously. Her fingers twitched as she itched to spring them forward and clasp onto a short thread or a tendril of blonde hair.

"Because sometimes people need a change of scenery. Sometimes it allows clarity or understanding to come to them, especially if that new place holds some kind of meaning or memory for them."

Maya swallowed, clearing her throat as she attempted to disguise the clear fracas the answer had caused for her. "Yeah, some meaning all right," she joked, her voice sounding groggy and unconvincing.

Her mother smiled regardless. "Triangles are just two-dimensional pyramids, Baby Girl."

"Excuse me?" Maya forgot her reminiscing and confusion, completely baffled by this remark. Triangles are what now?

The older blonde laughed, a sound that wasn't heard quite often enough and so spread throughout the room with a presence of peace and lightness. "We like to look at things like we view two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, circles, et cetera. In the case of a triangle, all we see are three sides, one that we often associate with a mountain or some kind of tall obstacle. We go up one side and go down the other."

"I'm not following."

"There's more than one side to climb up. More than one way to accomplish whatever mission you may have, whether that be to reach the apex of your mountain or just make it to the other side."

"I see." She really didn't, it sounded too philosophical and silly for it to bear any meaning or relation to her current predicaments.

"And not all pyramids are three sided," her mother added ambiguously.

The timer abruptly went off, blaring the vexing beeping loudly. Maya sighed and slid off of the counter, pressing the off button and proceeding to check on their dinner. "Trust me, there were only three sides to our triangle," she called, snatching a pair of oven mitts to grab the scalding pan on the rack.

"Didn't say that there were more than three," was the response, much to her chagrin.

Maya closed the oven, threw down the mitts and rolled her eyes at her mother. "Then what _did_ you mean?"

"The triangle was only one problem you had to deal with, that's the other side."

She plunked down two plates and rifled through their chaotic silverware drawer. "You're saying I was dealing with other issues, somehow making our three sided pyramid a four sided one? That's ridiculous, especially considering the fact that problems aren't human." The blonde smirked at this, before growing somber and annoyed again. "I wasn't dealing with other issues either, by the way."

"Because you _are_." This was uttered so softly, she wasn't sure anyone could ever have heard it.

Maya heard a murmur of something coming from the living room, so she popped her head around the cabinet door, cocking her head at her mother. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, I just said we should have salad with our pasta this time, maybe try to be healthy for once. Can you grab the ranch and vinaigrette?" Her mother rose from her seat and crossed to the refrigerator, not once glancing at the immobile girl to her left squinting at her with curiosity. Their conversation had changed so abruptly and Maya desperately desired to know the cause for it. Unfortunately, she wouldn't find out, as they finished dinner preparations silently and awkwardly.

Once they had sat at the table for a good ten minutes, Maya sighed and glanced at her mother, reluctantly answering the question that needed to be addressed. "I'll tell you tomorrow before school." She poked at her cheesy noodle, hoping there would be no response.

Her mother nodded at her salad, not even checking to see if her daughter caught her agreement. She really wished she hadn't mentioned pyramids.

* * *

He wasn't going to lie, he was struggling. Grasping for control over his overwhelming emotions, grappling for grip on calm and peace. The next week or so was going to be very difficult for him to handle, considering the fact that he would have to sit like an idiot and not lift a single finger to help Maya. At least, not the way he really desired to express currently. _One more week_ , he kept telling himself. _That's all_.

Lucas forced himself to turn his attention away from these thoughts, instead focusing on the open book of arithmetic problems before him. He blinked in confusion at the charts, his mind devoid of any comprehension, before remembering he had been doing homework since he had gotten home from school, which was about two hours ago. He hadn't completed a single question.

Based on this fact, he knew he absolutely had to begin his task. Lucas attempted the first problem with determination, but instead found himself five minutes later tapping his pencil against the wood of his desk and resting his head in his hands defeated. It's not that he didn't know the answer, it's just he didn't know how to get there or rather he couldn't _remember_ due to other things clouding his brain.

Which then brought up a revelation he hadn't considered before, one that naturally concerned Maya Hart. She was just like this math problem. Lucas could see the solution, he could practically taste the victory, but he wasn't sure how to get there or if it would work. It was too late to back out now and he wouldn't have wanted to anyway, not after all of their work, but Lucas was so concerned that it would backfire. What if Maya found out their true intentions behind the trip, or she didn't listen to Pappy Joe, or Pappy Joe somehow made it worse, because he had done that before? Lucas knew with absolute certainty that his grandfather had a gift for helping others with their dilemmas, but there was always that one time. Or multiple, if he was referring to Pappy Joe.

He couldn't deal with this anymore. Pushing back his chair with a loud scrape, he stood up, slid his books into his backpack, and slung the bag over his shoulder. Silently opening his door, he crept downstairs, and passed by his parents who were obliviously making dinner. It was an activity that rarely took less than an hour to accomplish for them, due to their incessant debates about meaningless topics. Normally, this would irritate Lucas slightly, but today it was a helpful aspect as it would give him ample time to get back home before they recognized that he was absent.

Lucas sucked in a breath, although it wouldn't aid him in any stealthy endeavor, and managed to creep out the door before they could spot him. He paused for a brief moment, recalling the last time he had done something directly against his parent's rules. He desperately hoped he would never have to get Maya out of something like that again. Lucas then proceeded to brush it aside, not wanting to delve into his past too deeply, and began his trek to a place that would hopefully clear his head a little.

Soon enough, he reached the chain link fence and rested his palms on top of the cold, poky surface. His eyes inspected the deserted field, double checking its vacancy, before tossing his bag over the fence. Lucas put a foot on one of the links and slung his leg over, dropping onto the dirt below with a puff of dust. Smiling a bit to himself as he contemplated the baseball field, he in the spur of the moment, flung his backpack onto a green section of turf and jogged out to the bases. Planting his sneaker clad foot onto home plate, he squinted at the diamond before him and abruptly began racing as rapidly as he could around the bases. The bleachers were obviously vacant, but somehow he could hear the echoes of cheers and whistles ringing throughout his pounding head as he sprinted across the dirt track.

His left foot slapped first base.

* * *

 _Lucas's chest heaved heavily as he trudged disappointed towards his waiting family. His brow was beaded with sweat and his clammy hand gripped the handle of a trophy tightly, noticeably vexed as his knuckles turned a distinct white._

 _"It's okay, Lucas," his mother clucked sadly, hugging him close. "You'll do better next time."_

 _His father twisted his face into an expression of pity as he attempted to hide both a demeanor of annoyance and his phone. "You tried your best, don't worry about it." Lucas glanced disapprovingly at the square bulge in his father's pocket, not believing the sentiment._

 _A hand slapped his back, a little more forceful than perhaps intended, but it definitely caused him to turn around. Lucas sighed and looked up to meet the expected censure in his grandfather's eyes. Pappy Joe managed to wrest the trophy free from his clenched hands, then lifted it up to inspect it with obvious disdain. "They give you an award for running like a girl, now?" He guffawed at this ridiculous notion, narrowing his blue eyes at the label. "Ah, participant. How proud you must be," he said, handing back the trophy._

 _"Dad, stop it," his mother warned, shooting him a warning look. "Lucas tried his best, and he can only get better. Don't forget he was the one who invited you in the first place, too."_

 _Pappy Joe grunted. "Lucas should know the truth, you shouldn't hide it from him."_

 _"Yes, but it doesn't mean you have to tear down his self-confidence either," she snapped._

 _"Right here," Lucas spoke up, irritated at their conversation._

 _At this, his mother shot her father another glare and Pappy Joe huffed in a boyish manner, which might have been humorous if not for the circumstance. "Okay, son. Your mother is right, boys should have_ _lots_ _of encouragement." Lucas saw a glimmer of a smile flicker onto his mother's face. "However, the encouragement I have for you is non-existent today. You failed and you need to own up to it like a man. You understand?"_

 _He nodded in assent, not sure of what the lesson was. Lucas had lost and for sure didn't deserve this trophy. He handed it back to Pappy Joe with a determined gleam in his eye. His grandfather smiled broadly and thumped him on the back. "Good man."_

* * *

He skittered back onto home plate with an exaggerated slide, trying to catch his breath. Lucas panted, resting his hands behind his head, and turned his neck to the right. The bleachers remained empty. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. All this venture had done was dig up memories of Pappy Joe, and the corresponding reasons as to why Maya shouldn't have a discussion with him.

Lucas groaned and made his way to the cool metal of the bleachers, scooping up his bag on the way. Ascending the stairs with ominous booms on each step, he made his way to a row near the middle and plunked down onto the scratched surface.

The whole field spread before him and he viewed it with a sense of relaxed familiarity and synonymous anxiety. Baseball represented so much more than his friends realized, as it revealed more about a certain event than he wished to divulge. Even after three years.

And just like that, a flip was switched inside of him.

* * *

 _"What the hell were you thinking, Lucas Friar?" His father shouted, hurling his car keys onto the kitchen counter. "Do you even realize what this means? Expulsion, that's what it means." He yanked the freezer door open, reached inside, and brought out an ice pack which he wrapped carelessly in a towel. "I can't believe what I just saw." He threw the package to Lucas, who barely managed to catch it with his swollen eye. "I just saw my thirteen year old son standing over an unconscious boy at the baseball field with a black eye and sprained wrist. You didn't even have baseball practice today, what the hell were you doing there?" Lucas didn't even attempt to answer the questions, knowing good and well that he could not talk until his father said he could. Not when he was angry. "...say something!" his father snarled, slamming the door shut. Lucas flinched._

 _"I'm sorry, sir." He lifted the pack gingerly to his black and blue eye._

 _"Sorry? That's it? That's all you have to say?" Lucas didn't think he'd ever seen him this angry. "Just you wait until your grandfather gets home_ _. Then_ _there will be hell to pay."_

 _Just as these words were uttered, the harbinger of dread himself made an appearance, shaking off hay from his shoulders. His eyes held a new revelation and his parted lips suggested the beginnings of a new joke, but it all halted when he surveyed the scene before him. Lucas was hunched over a carefully held wrist and ice pack, while his father had his chest thrust out and his arms crossed ominously._

 _Pappy Joe moved forward slowly, pulling off his gloves. "What's going on? You both look like someone died."_

 _"Not yet," Lucas mumbled, receiving a seething look from his father._

 _"Lucas sent a kid to the hospital," he responded, when his son didn't utter a word about the occurrence._

 _Lucas lifted his head defiantly. "He wasn't the only one," he retorted, holding up his injured wrist which was throbbing painfully. "You act as though I'm the only one guilty here."_

 _"You have no right to talk right now. You will sit there and think about what you've done and the consequences of your actions. You beat a kid up, Lucas Friar!"_

 _The boy in question stood up abruptly, thrusting a pointed finger at his father. "You weren't there! He beat me up just as much!"_ _h_ _e yelled at him._

 _It was at this point that Pappy Joe intervened, stepping into the space between his father and him. "Go take a walk," he commanded of Lucas's father who angrily ripped his hands from the towel he was holding and slammed the door on his way out. "Tell me what happened, Lucas." Pappy Joe turned to his grandson who was still standing furiously._

 _"Zay's big mouth got him into trouble is what happened."_

 _"So you thought it was a good idea to beat up his enemies in return?"_

 _Lucas growled. "He was in trouble, I need to protect my friends."_

 _His grandfather laughed. "Where did that get you, son?"_

 _"Aren't you always telling me to be a man and to step up? Well, that's what I did. I didn't let anyone push me around like some kid, so stop treating me like one," Lucas snapped, his face a furious mask._

 _"Being a man doesn't always mean punching people who are mean to you," he responded calmly. "It means making the bigger choice, being the better person."'_

 _Lucas shook his head in disbelief as he boldly stepped towards his grandfather, his recklessness in part due to the heavy dose of adrenaline coursing through his veins. "All my life you have drilled it into me that I have to win. That I'm not worthy or a man if I don't prove myself to be someone to be reckoned with. That's what I did today, and here you are of all people telling me that I was wrong when I did exactly what you told me to do." With this, he slammed the ice pack onto the floor in anger, ready to defend himself further if necessary._

 _Pappy Joe didn't bat an eyelash at this action. "No, what I told you to be was a man who proved himself to be a good person and was successful. Not a man who sinks to the level of dumb teenage boys who want a good fight."_

 _"I didn't fight for no reason."_

 _"I know. But it doesn't justify your actions, Lucas." Pappy Joe picked up the fallen ice pack and returned it to him. "Be a good man, but for now, I suggest you come up with a heavy measure of regret and apology, because you have a lot of explaining to do."_

* * *

Lucas stared blankly at the swiftly setting sun, knowing he had to move now or face the consequence of his parents' anger. But, he couldn't until he had come to some decision. Pappy Joe was a huge risk to take, one that could affect his friends, and in turn his life. He had learned that the hard way already. The question was whether or not it was worth it.

Lucas shifted his gaze to a far off section of sidewalk, where there was a group of rowdy teenagers milling about. What caught his eye was a flash of blonde hair directly in the center of the group. It wasn't Maya, but it might as well have been, because that's all he needed to be sure.

He stood up and grabbed his backpack, promptly running down the stairs with determination. Lucas had to get home to finish assignments, because there was no way he was getting on that plane if he didn't complete his homework.


	34. The Golden Scale

_**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have already favorited, followed, and reviewed! Please don't forget to review, feedback is welcomed with open arms and it definitely gets new chapters written quicker! ;)**_

 _ **I could go on and on about how I moved, how I didn't have internet for 2 weeks, how writer's block plagued me like a harbinger of doom-but, I won't, because that's pretty boring...Instead I will serenade you with a brief shower of apologies and strive to write quicker than before! ;)**_

 _ **Enjoy the chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just this story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Golden Scale  


The fact that she found herself once again on a plane, bound for a destination she wasn't entirely pleased about, really infuriated Maya. Her mother claimed adamantly that she wasn't being forced, that she had a choice in this matter, but she refused to buy into it. She had a choice? Right. Because she had a say in anything lately.

"We're almost there," Lucas remarked, leaning over her to pull up the blind she had over the window and craning his neck to survey the passing landscape below.

Maya stubbornly pulled it down sharply, ignoring his head that was obnoxiously in the way. "It's too bright," she insisted, staring him down with piercing, warning eyes.

"You're not a vampire, Shortstack," he laughed, conceding the matter. He scooted back into his seat, chuckling and shaking his head.

"As long as you think so," she retorted sharply, jamming her earbuds back into her ears, blissfully delving into obliviousness. Maya inhaled deeply, allowing her thoughts to be tucked into their respective drawers with an attempt to contain them. Not thinking was a glorious feeling.

Naturally a tap from a certain bothersome Huckleberry swiftly brought her back from the land of nothingness, an action which she did not appreciate in the least. "What?" She snapped, raising her eyebrows in an anguished irritation.

Lucas to his credit calmly received this response with patience, and merely proceeded to point out a gorgeous billow of fluffy clouds to her right. With a vexing knot of guilty conscience now rooted in her stomach, she sheepishly turned her attention to the aforementioned landmark.

"It's breathtaking," she affirmed, slyly sliding her earbuds into her pocket, a motion

which Lucas of course noticed, but graciously didn't mention. "I know. It reminded me of you," he admitted, smiling slightly, the golden light of the setting sun washing his face in an enchanting ochre light. It was surprisingly captivating but Maya wasn't sure what to do with that realization.

"How so?" She inquired warily, hoping the gorgeous comment was not about to become a premise for a cliche comment.

Lucas smiled. "You're an artist, I thought about you and how you might like to draw this scene." Noting her immediate baffled and surprised look, he burst into loud chuckles, drawing attention from irritated passengers. "What, did you think I was about to serenade you?" Maya scowled and turned her face to the ethereal landscape before her with a furious red blush spreading across her cheeks. Lucas however was still getting a kick out of it. "Shall I compare thee to a sunset? The red in thy cheeks is only further illuminated by the heavenly orange light-"

"Shut up." Maya held a hand over his mouth with an dangerous, sharp glance.

"Hey, speaking of orange." Lucas lifted her slender fingers off without a second thought, it being an action he performed quite often. "Let's do the color orange. Or yellow. Same thing."

"One, they aren't the same colors. At all. Second, I don't want to do that anymore."

"Why not?"

Maya sighed and rested her head on the window, allowing the vigorous shaking from the plane to rattle her very bones and brain with an uncaring stubbornness. "I can't think of anything."

Lucas cocked his head in an accurate mockery of an inquisitive dog. "Is that the only reason?" Maya grunted in a terse, crude affirmation. "Then too bad, I'm calling your bluff."

"Who even says that?" She complained, lifting her head to give an incredulous glance, her hand leaving its position on her head to lift up in dubiety.

"I'll go first." Lucas offered generously, leaning back in his seat.

"Oh, yay."

"Imagine a young boy, about yay high." He hovered his hand about shoulder height, ignoring Maya's wide eyed disbelief next to him. "He's staring into the red-orange of a late Friday sunset, anticipating the following day with nervous excitement. Tomorrow, he would become a man. Tomorrow his life would change. This boy's hair whipped in the wind and he knew that nothing, not even catching the flu would cause him to miss the event of tomorrow."

"I swear, I will tear you limb from limb if you don't stop." He bowed his head down to meet the snapping eyes of his friend who had suddenly cluctched the fabric of his collar within her fist.

"What? What could I have possibly done in the span of ten seconds?"

"Talking like that!" she cried as if this was an obvious fact.

"Maya, it's called dramatic storytelling," Lucas solemnly said, smoothing out his now wrinkled fabric.

"Unbelievable."

Settling back into a comfortable position, he cleared his throat to gain Maya's attention once more. "What was the event of tomorrow, you might ask?"

"I didn't," she grumbled under her breath, picking at an obnoxious hangnail on her index finger.

"Mutton bustin'." Maya eyed him with suspicion, jerking her head up. Since when did he openly talk about an embarrassing memory?

Lucas, expecting this exact reaction, smiled and proceeded to explain vaguely. "Surprised? Well, I have decided that it is time for me to disclose this information to my wonderful friends."

"You literally already have," she contradicted doubtfully.

"Ah, Ms. Hart. You forget you weren't even there," Lucas chided.

The defeated blonde conceded and waved at him in a meaningless gesture. "Just continue, Sundance."

With this prompted reminder, Lucas's countenance grew eerily dark in a split second. "My grandfather was wearing orange when I fell off the stupid sheep. The first thing I saw was the orange." He paused. "Then the disappointment. It was the first time I received the "becoming a man and acting like one" speech."

"That escalated quickly," Maya commented quietly, causing a small smile to quirk up onto her friend's face.

"Yeah well, this is an important memory. Not just because it shaped me "into a man", it was what prompted you guys to sign me up for bull riding and that was a very important trip."

Maya inhaled sharply, but Lucas didn't seem to recognize the way his words sounded or how they might be received. Or what personal memories they might have triggered. "I see," she cautiously responded. "Well, that sure was a short and already known story, Ranger Rick."

He shrugged in a nonchalant gesture, an uncommon attitude presenting itself to her. "True. Your turn."

Maya still wasn't fully certain as to the intent or meaning of that specific memory, but she reluctantly proceeded to tell her story, deciding that she could always ask about it later. Her only qualm with waiting to pry was that Lucas's tone and actions were strangely abnormal and it was concerning. She wondered briefly if he was hiding something from her and it sent a tornado of furious butterflies whirling in her stomach to take flight.

"Um, let's see. There was this one day with Farkle." Maya hesitated, thinking of her friend whom she was currently at odds with a pang of guilt and nostalgia. "We were at Topanga's and he was helping me with math homework or something. Naturally, the discussion turned to other things, taking into consideration the fact that my friends just love to derail from the important things." Here she sent him a significant look. "But, we ended up discussing things like homework and it actually prompted me to turn in my homework on time. I have been for the last two weeks." She bit her lip, twisting the skin until it broke with an unceremonious bubble of scarlet blood, her nervous habit presenting itself once more. Maya knew she was rambling, but her jumbled thoughts were all flowing out of her like a waterfall that had been held back for too long. "I don't know why I told you that, honestly. I only know it will create more problems and a whole heck of a lot more "you're getting better, Maya" from you guys.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot the orange. Farkle had on this old turtleneck, obviously the orange one."

The boy next to her merely furrowed his brow in response and studied her with an unreadable expression, seemingly unaffected by her incessant chattering.

"What?" she snapped, feeling irritated at his inspecting gaze, unsure of why it was directed towards her. Maya had already told her tale and explained where the orange memory had originated from, so what more did he hope to garner from their conversation?

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, suddenly worried with his odd behavior when he didn't shift his expression.

"You need to stop doing that," he finally commented softly, causing a puzzled furrow in her brow before he reached over and wiped off the blood on her lips. It surprised her, but the spot where he had touched her buzzed with a curious yet pleasant electrical charge long afterwards.

"Why were you looking at me like that?" she queried, ignoring his weird reaction to her lip biting.

"I just can't figure you out, that's all." Lucas promptly proceeded to turn his oddly flushed face from her, deftly slipping his own earbuds back into his ears.

Maya blinked in utter confusion, unsure of how she was supposed to take that response or how she should respond. Studying his closed off features, a trait that they both irritatingly shared, she wondered if she had said anything. Maybe his weird behavior was due to the fact that he was mad at her for some unknown, hidden reason.

Could it be the texts he had read? They hadn't discussed it yet and it had nearly been two weeks since then. To her complete bafflement, Lucas hadn't mentioned the incident at all. In fact, he seemed rather normal, that is for a respective Huckleberry.

Maya numbly stewed in the stony silence and swiveled to face the breathtaking sun, allowing her thoughts to scramble onto the sun's surface like an army of ants. No more thinking. No more inspecting or muddling through curious musings. Just her and the ethereal sunset before her.

Except the occasional ant got loose, and scuttled into the recesses of her mind. Them she could do nothing about.

* * *

"You are kidding, right?"

"Not in the least." Lucas held out a faded, brown cowboy hat with an unneeded flourish, one designed and configured to amuse her. It didn't.

"There is absolutely no possible way you will ever get me to wear that," Maya snorted, stalking past the boy with an unladylike stomping of her clicking heels.

Lucas trotted after her with a taunting sing-song voice pervading the air. "C'mon, you know you want to."

"No."

Riley ducked from behind a door, her twin pigtails swinging in light of her hurried excitement. "Let's go, slowpokes. We're waiting for y'all," she exclaimed, her chirpy words inflected with a horrid Texan accent.

"Riley, just because we're in Texas doesn't mean you have to talk like that," Lucas laughed, plunking the unwanted hat onto the mass of unknowing blonde curls to his right as he spoke.

Maya scowled and yanked it off, smoothing her hair down in a vain attempt to placate the wild nest. "It doesn't mean you have to wear a stupid cowboy hat either."

"It does," he insisted, throwing it on her head again as he headed out the door with Riley.

The blonde shook her head, narrowing her eyes at their retreating forms. She had limits. Lucas didn't abide by her rules or pay attention to those boundaries. Lucas would regret it later.

Just as she began her wicked inner plot for revenge, her first step towards the front door was blocked by a certain Cowboy. It just wasn't Lucas this time.

"Hi, Pappy Joe." Maya sent him a polite smile and then stepped to his left to slip past him, but he stopped her movements with a random and ill timed attempt at conversation.

"How are you, Maya?" he inquired, a wide grin plastered across his features. Despite this seemingly content composure, the smile didn't fit and she could tell he was masking some other emotion. Was she to be the brunt of some annoyance or concern?

"I'm fine," she returned with a false tight-lipped smile of her own, warily eyeing his expression for any signs of backlash or fire. Didn't he know she had to leave for the festival now?

Maya was contemplating voicing her departure until it all left her brain when he asked, "Everything fine at home?"

That question set her senses on high alert and her brain scrambling to construct the massive brick wall she built with queries such as this. Her lips pursed instinctively and she raised her eyebrows in a demeanor of lackadaisical uncaring, her pointed chin lifting in defiance. "Yes, quite fine," she spat out less then generously. She then proceeded to wiggle past his body with no hesitation this time, merely wanting to get out of the house and away from him as rapidly as possible. Why the hell would he ask something like that?

"Didn't mean to offend you, darling," he called out as she stalked out onto the creaky wood of the porch. Inhaling deeply, she paused and turned on her heel to squint at his silhouette in the dark doorway.

"It's fine," she offered curtly, the only response she could muster at the moment.

Maya stumbled off the steps with an embarrassing lack of gracefulness, running over to the waiting truck without further thought or consideration. Why would he ask something like that and why the heck she would even react that way completely stumped her,

She slid into the oddly vacant front seat and slammed the door behind her with an automatic grimace as her friends all lifted their heads to glance at her with concern and reluctant withdrawal, believing they could not react lest she get furious. Maya folded her arms and waited for Lucas to start the car, the diminutive guilty hurt she felt at her friend's removal was yet still smothered with her anger at their actions.

"Come on, Sundance, let's get this cowboy festival over with," she finally complained, still refusing to meet his eyes lest they show her emotions that were tumbling through her brain.

Maya promptly heard the jangle of keys and then the gear shifting as he began to drive, Lucas continuing to refuse to utter a word along with the other passengers in the car. She had once more depleted the jubilant excitement of her friends and it sent a pang of self-loathing through her heart.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, unsure if anyone would even hear or care. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

"You're fine, Maya. Don't worry about it," a voice piped up from the back, one she hadn't heard say her name for a long time, in her presence at least.

"Thanks, Farkle."

Lucas still didn't say anything and neither did Riley.

* * *

"I want an explanation and I want it now," Maya seethed, grabbing a fistful of Lucas's shirt and dragging him behind her as she stomped over to a secluded spot in the shade.

He sighed and pantomimed checking his wrist for an imaginary, scolding watch. "We've only been here for like 7 minutes, Maya," he complained, tapping his bare wrist.

"Why are we really here?" she blurted out, not appreciating his comedic jokes at the moment.

Lucas froze and time seemed to grind to halt as their eyes met, one an icy, green expanse of fear, and the other a biting, snapping blue sphere of anger. He was panicking and scrambling for some excuse, some explanation, but she was calmly awaiting his response with fearful anticipation.

Maya had been thinking. The car ride had once again been an awkward silence that penetrated the very core of their excited spirits, but it had given her space and clarity. They had just arrived in Texas yesterday and since then nothing had been normal. Lucas's odd behavior, Pappy Joe's question. There had to be something going on and knowing her friends her suspicion wasn't that unbelievable.

"We're here to hang out and go to the festival," he responded firmly, hoping his voice wasn't shaking like his nerves were.

"Really? Is that it?" Maya stepped forward with a dominant step, closing the distance between her and him.

Here was where he lied. "Yes."

"You better not be lying."

"I'm not." He tried not to make his gulp noticeable.

Maya stood on her toes and thrust her face into his. "Promise me you're not lying."

This time her voice was softer and open, raw with hidden emotion. Lucas felt an instant pressure of guilt hunched over in his chest and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth with a chalky taste. He couldn't betray her trust again, but did he have another option? "Why are you asking?"

"You've been acting weird and Pappy Joe—" She stopped, glancing over at him with a sheepish, gauging glance.

"He what?" Lucas felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. What did he do? "Did he hurt you?"

"No, Lucas." Maya snorted and raised her eyebrows. "He just asked a weird, prying question."

"What question?" he prodded, still not trusting his grandfather's eloquence and attentiveness.

"He asked how everything was at home."

"And?"

"That's it," she confirmed, furrowing her brows and looking at him as though he'd just committed a crime.

Lucas returned the gaze. "I don't understand, Maya. What's the big deal?"

The blonde's face darkened and she slumped onto a nearby bench. "I—I don't know. I just felt like he was prying and unnecessarily nosy and that he shouldn't ask about my life." She took a deep breath.

Lucas cautiously approached the bench. "Maybe you shouldn't be wondering so much about the question but about how you reacted to it."

She jerked her formerly bowed head up to meet his sympathetic eyes and in that instant she began to berate herself, questioning her stupidity and overreaction to everything. Of course Pappy Joe hadn't meant anything like that, it was just her being herself. Her stupid self.

Unless...he was being overly nosy and there _was_ something going on.

"Lucas, I swear I will never forgive you if you're not telling me what's going on," she breathed, catching his eyes with a melancholy anger, the last of her mind's thoughts skipping in a gloomy parade through her brain.

He slid onto the bench and looked into her eyes, hoping to placate the furious storm taking place inside them. "What are you thinking right now, Maya Penelope?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to hurt you and the rest of them," she snapped, getting up and heading back towards her friends to gain information from them instead.

"Maya." Lucas snagged her arm, yanking her back to his side. "What are you thinking?" he repeated, sensing self hatred oozing from her very being.

For a moment the scale hung in a synonymous balance and he wondered if she really would tell him something about her thoughts. But then her heavy, massive, blackened heart sunk the scale to the bottom and she jerked away from him.

"I'm giving you one last chance." She sized him up with a dangerous warning.

"We are here to hang out and have fun at this festival," he said once more, calculating the odds of him coming clean. "But—" Lucas slammed to a halt, at loss for words and not sure how she could see so well through all of them.

Unfortunately his hesitation cost him. Dearly. Maya caught on and sensing his nervousness, stepped back and met his eyes evenly. "You're here to fix me, aren't you?" No response. Lucas couldn't breathe, move, or speak. His lungs began to burn and ache with the loss of oxygen. "I don't know how you thought Texas

could help me or why the hell I'm here, but the motive behind the trip...are you kidding me?" Maya's face crumpled and he was almost certain she was on the verge of a breakdown or tears. He couldn't decide which one he'd rather witness.

Then, the balance dropped even further, its golden strings straining and stretching like a frayed rope. Soon after, Lucas would wish that he could see both of her reactions at once instead of what followed.

The blonde took one more step forward, this time with a menacing, deliberate countenance. "I will stay with you on this trip, but after this Lucas Friar," Maya stood up straighter, stiffening her spine. "I'm done. You will stop trying to help me, when I don't need to be fixed. You will stop trying to like me when we all know I'm a lost cause. And you will certainly never tell me who I should be."

All the progress of months past, all the hidden feelings and attempts at regrowth were shattered with a single line of words. And it was her fault once more.

She promptly stalked past him, leaving him to rot and stew alone with her declaration by himself. Maya would have left then and there, but something stopped her, something incredibly ridiculous and stupid. A memory, a stupid, frickin' memory. "I don't know if I will ever speak to any of you again," she whispered, almost wishing he would not hear so that she could take the words back. But he did. And it hurt on both sides.

The scale snapped and skidded to a halt on the edge of a precipice, bobbing and threatening to tip over into the abyss below.

Lucas looked away. Maya walked away.

It fell.


	35. The Poison's Antidote

_**Author's Note: Please don't forget to REVIEW, and thank you abundantly to all my amazing followers and reviewers! Your support means so much. Reviews really do mean a lot, and they do wonders for inspiration and hastily written chapters... ;)  
**_

 _ **Okaaaaay...Do I even try to make up an excuse, or do we just move onto the story? I don't actually have an excuse, save for the usual one of no inspiration, but I really am hoping this time to get you chapters way sooner...the story is almost done, and I too am eager to see its completion! I did miss the story's anniversary sadly, as I was hoping to upload and actually finish it in one year!, but that clearly didn't happen so I apologize.**_

 _ **Well, I most certainly haven't kept you waiting for very long, but without further ado, I give you Chapter 35...Finally.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Poison's Antidote

The wooden porch swing emitted a raucous shriek as she plopped herself onto it, causing her to grimace and glance about her to ensure her solitude. As she surveyed the dusty beams and cobwebs adorning the porch, a lone wind blew through the grass before her, a sea of bowing, waving jade abiding to the whims of the indecisive wind. Amongst them were various speckles of clumped clovers and ochre dandelions, a rarity in the Texan heat. Pappy Joe had mentioned that he lived up to a standard of impeccable lawns and so he watered his own every day without fail.

Her mind ambling off the path of eccentric, random thoughts, she confirmed her isolation and sank back into the worn seat. As she swung her pale legs slightly, the chips of white paint already cracked and crumbling on the swing began to float to the floor like flakes of ill-timed snow. _The seasons are a bit messed up here_ , she mused, running her turquoise painted pinkie nail across the seam of her jeans. _But_ , here she raised her head, squinting her fatigued looking eyes into the bright luminescence of the setting sun. _It's almost like time has stopped, regardless._

Everything, albeit the ocean of rustling grasses, was still. Cast in a golden light, the objects and the landscape about her seemed to paint a picture more brilliant then could ever be documented on canvas. The wisps of cotton rabbits and sugar-spun dragons floated upon the darkening sky like actors on their final debut, departing for the stars after their display for their audience. And all noise was ceased.

It was _blissfully_ silent.

Not wanting to look away but doing so anyway, as if being tugged along on Mother Nature's fond puppet string, she ran a hand over her face and closed her eyes for a brief respite. Promptly thoughts crowded her brain, instant on scrambling through the entryway before she shut the door in denial. She was far too lethargic this time.

They all made it through.

The blonde sunk into her hands like they were her last comfort. She had truly messed up this time. There was no getting around it, no beating around the bush, no...denial. But, nevertheless, Lucas likewise refused to see what he was doing. Along with Riley and the others. There had to be some kind of interlude, didn't there? She had to stop—

Here, she jerked her head up so fast it buzzed and her vision spun like her puppet string had been forced to play yo-yo. _She_. She had to stop...that was what she had just admitted to herself. Was—was this truly all her fault?

No. Maya set her jaw, fingers digging into the sides of her gauzy blouse determinedly. She hadn't done anything wrong, in fact she was protecting her friends, wasn't she? By taking herself out of the equation finally, they were rid of her. Rid of her problems. Rid of everything that made her into a form she herself didn't quite recognize when she glanced into the cracked mirror of her bedroom. It made perfect sense, didn't it?

 _No_. She scowled. _Yes_. Maya drew her knees up to her chest, enclosing them in a crude sort of desperate embrace. _Maybe_.

She didn't know what to do because all she could gaze upon was a theatrical sort of dance projecting itself into her memory, a mimicry of earlier's occurrence. Maya watched herself with dim eyes as her words twisted from her mouth like a venomous snake, intent on sinking its milky white fangs into the unsuspecting flesh of its victim. Lucas.

She could see the poison seeping into his blood, watch as it turned blue to inky black, words floating onto the surface of his skin like an perpetual dye. _Never_. _Talk_. _You_. They all swirled in ominous tornadoes across his arms and shoulders, creeping closer to his baffled expression.

 _Again._ That one hovered over his lips, sucking itself into the void of his mouth like a raging hurricane, delving deep into the soul of its quarry. As soon as it was digested, his eyes sunk and his lips closed, sealing off the offender like a cork in a bottle, not to be relinquished without contest. The world now held captive pulsed in the space where his heart should have been, the bleeding powerhouse of his body.

And why it was missing? Her. All her.

She felt a pang in her own chest and she took in a lungful of sweet air, eyes burning from—the wind. Of course, nothing more. Why did that hurt so much, again?

A sudden slam from the porch door jerked her from her pondering and she swiped a hand at her itching red-rimmed eyes, burning as if from a fire. Pappy Joe stumped up onto the porch, hands in his filthy overalls, grimy from motor oil and clumps of mud. He heaved a supposedly reticent sigh and rolled up the cuffs of his button up, groaning over exaggeratedly as he sank into the swing next to Maya.

For an agonizing minute and a half, they sat in mutual silence, a quite lull settling over them with the deepening of navy blue above them. When the gleaming eyes of the sun herself winked a farewell and delved beneath the protection of the horizon, Pappy Joe cleared his throat and folded his hands together neatly upon his stomach.

"You planning on eating dinner, darlin'?" he broached, politely not meeting her incredulous gaze, setting his sights on a pumpkin orange tomcat slipping between two car wheels.

"Not hungry." was her terse, and rather soft response.

He guffawed, squinting at the cat as it rolled onto its back on the gravel. "Now, I don't think you'll be wanting to miss my cornbread."

Maya couldn't suppress a snort, no matter how hard she attempted to (which wasn't very much). "Cornbread? How typical can you both be?"

"Us being Lucas and I?" he chuckled, returning her scrutinizing perusal of his countenance. "And Maya Hart, you can _never_ go wrong with cornbread. Besides," he shifted, drumming his thick fingers on his pant leg. "There's also a _mighty_ delicious strawberry rhubarb pie involved." He sent her a wink, pleased when she allowed a minuscule quirk to take possession of the pink swell of her lips. "Now, do you mean Lucas and I?"

"Of course, I do." She let the amusement slip from her demeanor, glancing down at her hands as a slight zephyr sent a breeze through her hair.

Pappy Joe exhaled heavily, grinning toothily at the cat who had now begun its millionth swipe at an unseen insect scuttling about before it. "What happened today? You came home long before Lucas did and he was your ride." Here he sent a disapproving squint at her heeled boots, which sent them scurrying for cover beneath the seat.

"Yes."

"Did you walk?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was rather silly of you, don't you think?"

Maya played with the ever present ring of metal adorning her pointer finger, studying the way it reflected the ombre of colors spun into the loom of the Texan landscape. "I don't think so, no. I had a good reason."

"Which was?"

She refused to meet his significant look. "Doesn't matter," she murmured.

"It seems to me however, that it _does_. What small matter would convince a lady to stalk five miles home in heels?"

Maya observed the orange feline curling into itself from her peripheral vision, causing her to shift her attention to the cat with vague interest. "Why do you think people change?" she ventured, locating a strand of wayward hair and setting off to placate it.

He took another breath. "I believe that's a matter of opinion, but to me, I think people change because they have to. Because they need to." She let the tendril slip from her fingers, no longer providing her the escape she desired, the conversation at hand weighing upon her shoulders with an apathetic reality.

"If we didn't change, _nothing_ would. We wouldn't grow, we wouldn't learn...and we most certainly wouldn't be able to repair or fix anything. Hurt would just multiply like drops in an ocean during a hurricane, with nowhere to push the access water. It would just bottle up and swirl and fume until one day," his pointer finger sprang from his knee to the air. "It just burst. And if no one changed, it would just sink into the earth and begin to flood its dirt with mud." The space between his brows furrowed with intensity. "And then that too would drown."

"Cheery."

"It's life, Maya."

Her legs bolted her out of her chair, setting her upright on the porch like an overly eager sprout ready to burst from the soil. "But why? Why can't we just—" Maya spun on her heel, reclining her elbows on the sturdy wooden rail, turning her back on whatever it was Pappy Joe presented. She didn't like it.

"Just what?"

She bit her tongue. Hard.

"What, Maya?"

The blonde smacked the post with vigorous frustration, promptly clenching the offending hands into twin fists. "Stop. Why can't we just stop?"

"Stop what?" Pappy Joe face was stone-still, but something told her that the nonchalance was hiding something he didn't want her to see beneath. It bothered her, knowing he was not disclosing some mentation when he seemed to want her to do the exact opposite.

Fueled with this spark, she sprang on his query with boiling anger. "Stop whatever the hell they think they're doing." She jabbed a thumb towards the general direction of the house, alluding to her contenders who, oblivious to all that took place outdoors, lurked upstairs with their own wars at hand.

"And what are they doing?"

"Trying to—"

"Help you," he interjected brusquely, all former amusement drained from his weathered face. "They are sacrificing every _inch_ of their souls to help you, Maya, and you are giving them _hell_ for it." He said the world like it burned his tongue, throwing it back to her with disgust, clearly displeased with its usage. "They have done everything in their power to help you, on more than one occasion I'm sure, and look where you are. Look. Where. You. Are." Pappy Joe watched her lip bites and pale knuckles with an almost calculating coldness. "I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, Maya Hart, but you need to know. You need to see what you are doing to those friends of yours, who are lucky to have you and you them, but are slowly diminishing day by day. Do you not see that? I don't know what you're going through, but I understand. I do. Life throws curve balls at you and stomps on your head when you're flung to the ground, but," he stood up, stepping closer to her with a dominance that paled her cheeks and planted her feet to the porch like it they had always grown there. "You get back up. And you don't throw your friends to the floor with you, do you hear me?"

Maya felt like she had been trampled by a plethora of broncs, hooves pounding into her skull like it was hollow, pouring out whatever happened to lay inside its enclosure. "Yes, sir." found its way out of her lips, but she didn't hear them. Just felt the taste and texture.

Pappy Joe's countenance flickered from its bonfire to a steady roar as he placed his sturdy hands upon her shoulders and bent with an almost demeaning crouch as he took her gaze and connected it to his own. Like a wriggling, doomed fish on a hook, she was lured into the depths of his own sapphire ocean, adjacent to dark voids of concerned origin. Firm disapproval laced the corners of his eyes, but there was something else too, something she couldn't place.

"Stop hurting your friends. All they want to do is help you."

She managed to pry her chalky tongue from her dry throat, arid like its own desert sands, words floating like grains of sand inside her mouth. A wisp of the golden material spun from her lips. "But they're prying. They're trying to fix me, they're—"

"Stop." He removed his hands. "I'm not saying in the least that they haven't done anything wrong, because you know what, we all make mistakes. You do too, and that's okay. What's not okay is you refusing to see those mistakes and gathering them to your chest like they were your best friends. They're not. Let go, Maya. Let. Go."

Her eyes burned and her gaze turned glassy. His words pounded through her head like a detrimental hammer. All. Your. Fault. _I won't cry_ , she berated herself, shouting into her subconscious with a snapping, biting tone. _Don't do it_.

He noted her wall being hastily built and tore it down with one stroke, observing the motive behind it. "Maya, I can tell you think this all your fault, and I suppose I'm making it sound that way. But that's truly not my intention," he clucked her chin gently so she would look at him. "I'm saying that you are your own worst enemy and in the process you are hurting your friends. Stop telling yourself whatever you think is true. I want you to step back and look at the situation. If you can't pull yourself from this, at least let go of your pride and ask for help. Let them help you." Pappy Joe pulled away as she wrenched her gaze from his, red-rimmed eyes caught in the glow of the porch light. "Don't hurt yourself, you're worth way more than that," he finally entreated, voice quiet and soothing.

"You don't even know what's happened," she choked from her mouth, anger and bafflement spilling simultaneously from her mind into one massive pool of confusion. "How can you say any of what you just said?"

"Because I can see it. I can see it in your friends' eyes, I can see it in yours," he sent her a stern contemplation. "I can see it in the way Lucas pretends that everything is fine. And whatever you both said to each other earlier, the thing that made you walk home, is tearing him up." Maya swallowed. "And it's tearing you up too, isn't it? Why can't you just admit that, and let him in? Let them all in to what's been eating you up inside for the last couple of months."

She stared at him.

He stared back.

"Because," she breathed. "Because I'm hurting them, aren't I? And they'll just keep hurting me."

And she tore from the porch, the jet-black arms of the night enveloping her with a welcoming gulp.

* * *

"Where's Maya?"

Ignoring this with intense concentration, Lucas twirled his spoon into the murky depths of his chili, wafts of steam slipping into the air with fragrances of savory broth and meat. Surprisingly, it wasn't him who spoke this, but Zay who hadn't taken a single bite of the golden cornbread piled onto his plate, most of which would normally be tucked into his endless stomach.

Pappy Joe grunted and spooned a mouthful of chili into his mouth, setting it back into the porcelain bowl with a _clank_. "Well, the truth is boys, I don't know."

Riley and Lucas jerked their heads up, both drawing in agitated breaths, while Farkle sought refuge in his meal, sucking on a strand of gooey, melted cheese. "What do you mean by that, Pappy Joe?" she inquired, fake smile plastered onto her lips with concerned uncertainty.

"What I mean by that," he took an irritatingly slow bite of spongy bread, crumbs slipping into the gray cascade of his mussed beard. "Is I don't know. She sprang from the porch about a half-hour ago like lightning had struck her, so I let her be."

Lucas stood up, his chair scraping the floorboards as he flung his napkin to the table and stomped to the door. "You really think that was smart?" He snagged his jacket, flinging it on as his other friends began to notice his concern, likewise adopting mirrored expressions as they too sprang up.

"You know what, I do."

Lucas paused, his hand on the gleaming doorknob. A muscle rippled in his jaw and he swiveled his head to send his grandfather a callous gaze, eyes ablaze with some emotion no one could place, but could guess with ease. "Why?"

"Because she needed it."

Riley practically tip-toed to the couch, reaching for her shoes, though the others were too concerned to move. The tangible tension hung in the air, too thick and stalwart to dislodge without collapsing the whole atmosphere all together. And so the boys didn't _dare_ move.

"Why?" Lucas seethed.

"Because we talked and she needed to think," he retorted calmly yet sternly, leveling his glance as he tested his grandson with his eyes.

His hand left the knob. "What did you say to her?"

"Doesn't matter," he shook his head.

"It does!" he roared, taking a furious step forward, each footfall a call to retreat. "It does and you know it."

Lucas wasted no time. He yanked the door open, and practically sprinted out, not even bothering to close the gaping hole. Behind, he left pressing silence, but more so concern.

Zay and Riley exchanged tentative glances, the former letting a sigh slip into the quiet, the latter twisting her lips and together they traced their friend's steps; plunging into the darkness. Farkle stared at the grain of the table. Finally, he too stood up and bolted from the room, muttering some unintelligible sentences in his wake.

Pappy Joe reached for his mug of thick, dark-brown coffee and took a sip.

He didn't even look up.

* * *

She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to _keep_ going, lest her feet finally fail and collapse her whole form to the ground in tears. And she most certainly couldn't cry. That would mean that she was weak and that she had given in to what others had said about her.

A branch from a tree poked her side with its rough bark and thin needles, causing her abrupt halt and sending her reeling, hands finding hold on a low hanging bough. Somewhere in her mind registered that she had stumbled upon the forest at the edge of their property, but most of her clung to the last scrap of dignity she had. Denial.

And even that was fading into a hazy memory, fog slipping into its place like a ghostly feline, intent on haunting her mind. She didn't know what was true and what wasn't. All she could perceive was the agonizing pounding of her heart and the pang that shot through it over and over. It was a physical torture, but the mental was far worse in its punishment.

She sunk to the earthy ground, twigs cracking underneath her weight. Her pale, icy hands grasped, groped for something to hold to, but all she found was dust.

Pappy Joe was right, wasn't he? Maya clamped a hand over her mouth, bowing her head over her form, not allowing herself the pleasure of self-pity. She had had enough of that.

She had flung respect to the wind, yelled at her mom, told the ones who loved her that they were hurting her. Told her friends to stay out of her life, out of her world. Maya had refused to back down, instead plaguing them with lies and stories of how she was changing, and then ones of how she never wanted to speak to them again.

And she had lost herself. Truly, she had. She had delved so deep into what the world had told her she needed to be, that it took first priority. It took dominion over all things, including her life, her friends, and her self-worth. It had sent her spiraling into a rabbit hole that had no exit, no helping hand, that she had flung herself into. Willingly.

Maya couldn't pull herself out. She was trapped in a constantly whirling sense of self-deprecation, tossed and turned between reality and fantasy, forced to drink the poison she doled out for herself everyday. And she couldn't stop.

She just couldn't.

And she hated that she couldn't see it before.

 _"_ _Maya?"_

Why hadn't she seen it before?

Lights flashed and bobbed in front of vision, but she dismissed it as another self-administered dose of illusions.

 _"_ _Maya!"_

And how could she fix it?

Cold hands found hers, wrapping them in an icy coffin, enveloped in complete snow and desolate realities.

She couldn't, could she?

"Maya. Maya?"

Something prompted her head to lift, whether it was her own will or Mother Nature's. But when she did, she met the boys' faces of hesitant concern, Riley's crumpled one that was adjacent to a bright flashlight, and Lucas's. They all knelt beside her and folded their hands into their laps, a crescent moon hovering around a star, mimicking the heavens above them with precise detail.

"What are you doing?" Riley finally spoke, voice barely a whisper. A brown lock of hair waved in front of her eyes and her brows crunched together.

Everyone held their breath, as her lips tried to pry themselves open.

"Maya?"

And she burst into tears.


	36. A Veil Has Been Lifted

_**Author's Note: Thank you to my amazing, loyal, reviewers, followers, and favorites! If you have any opinion on this chapter, feel free to let me know, I'd appreciate it! :)**_

 _ **So, I'm not going to ramble on and on, but I do want to apologize for how long this took. I also apologize for how short this chapter is and how sloppily it's been slapped together! :/ I'm going to be honest, I'm pretty disappointed with how this one turned out, but I wanted to get you guys something (since it had been quite a while) and I wrote this on no inspiration, so...**_

 _ **Again, I apologize, but I really do hope you enjoy it a little bit! Thank you to those who are still reading and reviewing, you guys make my day! :)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own GMW, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six: A Veil is Lifted

"Why do we have to talk about it?"

"You know why."

Maya bent her head over the mug of untouched tea, swirling the spoon through the liquid to mix the already melted honey. "I apologized, didn't I?"

"Too many times, yes." Farkle sent her a small smile, leaning on the sand colored table with pointy elbows. "But we didn't discuss it."

Riley scooched her chair closer, ever the one loathe to hold grudges, and placed her hand on Maya's arm. "We just need to know what's been going on, okay?"

The blonde girl in question raised a pair of melancholy cerulean eyes, full of wistfulness but one that was paired with some sort of relief. When they met Lucas's however, they darkened, though it was more surprising still when his matched her tone as well. "I don't exactly know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good idea," Zay suggested through a mouthful of dinner, having never finished his plate in the mad rush for the door.

Riley smiled, but Maya's eyes were downcast upon the grain of the wood again, transfixed upon some unknown point. "I think you already know most of it," she began, a choked word or two appearing among the others. "The texting issue, my art, my father's...family."

"We don't know about your dad," Farkle interjected kindly.

"Don't pretend, I know Lucas told you." She didn't sound angry or even hurt, much to the surprise of the group, just somber like she had been for the last hour.

"I didn't, Maya," Lucas said softly, arms crossed against his chest as he leaned back in his chair defensively. "I wouldn't have told them that."

Her eyes snapped to his, revealing some aspect of herself they were used to seeing. "I can't trust your word on that and you know why."

He did.

"Why don't you just tell it from your point of view, regardless of if he told us or not, okay?" Riley suggested, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

It took her a moment, but after waiting patiently, they were soon rewarded with an explanation. "My dad..." she trailed off, swirling the spoon again and watching as the silver caught the glare of the electric lights above. "Invited me to his house a couple of months ago."

"Really?" Zay inquired, sounding worried for the first time.

Maya glanced at Lucas for a moment, then returned to her stewing tea. "Well, actually it was his wife and their...kid." Her statement was met with silence, so she continued on as if there had never been a pause. "She's very cute."

"Did he know?" Farkle asked boldly, ignoring the look from Lucas.

"No."

Riley inhaled sharply. "What did he do?"

"I don't think we need to delve too deep into this subject," Farkle spoke up, sensing Maya's conflict and hurt.

Expecting her to jump at the chance to cease speaking, he was astonished when she interrupted, brushing off her chance at an escape. "He was surprised at first, but he mostly welcomed me, I suppose. And you all know he took me on a trip, of course." Maya pushed away the immediate recollections of the vacation, not wanting to go too far into them, easy as it was.

"Is that the week you weren't at school?" Riley queried, understanding dawning on her face. "I thought you were visiting a relative."

Maya revealed an uncharacteristic smile curve onto her features. "I was, in a way."

"Well, I see how that must have been difficult," Zay responded slowly, chewing thoughtfully. "What else has been going on?"

When Lucas and Maya exchanged looks again, Riley threw up her hands and scooched back her chair in frustration. "Will you two stop? I know you both are hiding something."

Lucas sighed, drumming his fingers upon the table, trying to decided how much to reveal. On the other side of the wood, Maya was doing the same, though she was more reticent then he was planning to be.

"You know the art museum demolition?"

Their friends all nodded one by one as remembrance rang through their minds. "What about it?" asked Farkle, who took a sip of his own tea.

Without any sugar coating, any plan of discreetly telling them, Maya blurted out the truth—much to Lucas's chagrin. "We were involved."

"Really, Maya?" he groaned, splaying his fingers across his forehead as every eye turned to him.

"You're joking, aren't you?" Riley stammered, face pale and clearly unbelieving of her own words.

"No," Maya admitted quietly.

"I believe it," Zay snorted.

"Really?" Farkle stood up, oddly angry for some reason. "She defaced _art._ You know, the one thing she's always loved no matter what?"

"Farkle, calm down," was the response from his friend, who raised a dark eyebrow. "It's Lucas you should be shocked with. Mr. Perfect, Mr. Moral Compass, Mr.-"

"We get the idea, Zay," Lucas interjected flatly.

"Why?" Riley shook her head in disbelief. Why would either of you do that?"

It was difficult for both Maya and Lucas to continue, sensing the aura of disappointment and confusion in their friends. Mostly for the former, who was already dealing with a whole plethora of confessions and apologies. "It's a really long story," she finally spoke, chipping off a flake of scarlet nail polish.

"We have time," Farkle decided tersely, plunking back into his seat.

Maya bit her lip habitually. "Fine, I roped Cowboy into it after he insisted I wouldn't, and then one day I decided I was being stupid so I stopped. The end."

Everyone snorted, rather synchronously too.

"I think you have to come up with a better story than that, Shortstack," Lucas prompted. "You're not exactly helping our case."

"I'm helping yours," she shot back. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Lucas leaned forward, maintaining stern eye contact. "I made my decision, not you."

"But—"

"Will somebody just explain something?" Zay asked in exasperation, craning his neck to survey the far side of the table where the two arguing teen sat. "Because none of us are following."

Maya muttered something unflattering, which only Lucas caught, consequently earning herself a glare from the latter. "Okay, my cousin Jazz invited me to spray paint—" she stopped with an indescribable expression on her face, though obviously battling some kind of decision. Finally, when she spoke again, her words were cautious but full of admittance. "She asked me to spray paint a school and I agreed. I didn't know it was our school."

"It was _you_?" Riley's eyes practically bugged out of her head.

"How much have you not told us? Damn, Maya," Zay whistled. "Did you know that too, Lucas?"

"Yes."

Maya turned to him, puzzled. "How?"

"Oh come on, it was kind of obvious, Maya." He looked fiercely unamused. "Just continue."

Biting back a sharp remark, she glanced out the window at the jet-black night, wondering if she could make another escape. "I then found out her plan to vandalize all the art museums in New York, ending with the one her mother owned. I tried to get out of it, but she threatened me and forced me to stay."

"So this whole thing has been some sort of revenge plot?" Zay nodded as if this sort of thing was a normal occurrence, and returned to his biscuit pleasantly. "Sorry, proceed."

Maya tapped her fingernails against the porcelain mug in mentation. "It's pretty much self-explanatory after that. Lucas found out and insisted on 'protecting me', so he joined up. And then I stopped one night."

"You forgot to mention him," Lucas reminded quietly, not meeting her eyes as she glared fiercely at him.

"I don't think now is a good time, _Huckleberry_ ," she seethed, smiling through gritted teeth and narrowed eyes.

"What's not?" Riley blinked, glancing around the table innocently.

Maya huffed, downing a gulp of lukewarm tea before answering, as if to give her some sort of strength to prepare for the aftermath of her statement. "Josh was involved. He helped us break into the museums, Riley."

"That can't be true."

"I wasn't going to tell you, but Ranger Rick is just so polite and patient," Maya mimicked coldly, plunking down her mug and sloshing some of the amber tea onto the table.

The brunette appeared not to have heard any of what had just transpired after her friend's words, instead shaking her head vigorously as if to clear it from her memory. "Josh wouldn't do that."

"I'm not lying, Riles."

"You have to be," she exclaimed, eyebrows furrowing in bafflement, transforming her sweet face into a pained one.

"She's not," Lucas confirmed, standing up and drawing all the attention away from the girls. "But I think that's enough for tonight. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Lucas—" Maya began, but was quickly halted by a barely imperceptible shake of his head.

"Good night." He headed up the stairs, wood creaking and groaning under the weight of his weary footsteps, leaving behind four mystified expressions.

"What was that about?" Farkle pondered, staring up after Lucas.

"I don't know, but I think he's right," Maya said, pushing out her chair too. "No more can possibly be said tonight. I think we all might just explode."

"That's a scientific impossibility," the boy automatically responded as if on auto-pilot.

"Is it?"

Zay swallowed his stew, stood up, and grabbed his bowl. "The answer is no, Farkle. The answer is no."

And then Riley lifted her pointed chin, staring wobbly at the seat in front of her. "In fact, some of us already have."

Maya dumped her tea into the sink, watching it gurgle down the drain as if hoping it would suck away the conversation with it, before turning to her friend with a softened gaze. "I'm sorry, Riley."

"I know, it's okay." She drew her knees to her chest, resting her cheek upon them with a sigh.

It wasn't.

* * *

"That's your idea? Can't we just leave it be?" Maya asked, slamming the cupboard door close with a bang.

"No."

She briefly observed the huddled group, clumped together like fish in a barrel, all ignoring the curiousness of last night for a common goal. They were strange people, she concluded.

"You are all incredibly stubborn," Maya huffed aloud, placing a hand on her forehead, truly tired of the debates.

"You're one to talk," Lucas scoffed, leaning over Farkle's shoulder as he tapped away on Maya's phone, intense concentration apparent on his features.

The blonde made her way to the desk languidly, attempting to hide her concern behind a mask of nonchalance, but unsteady footsteps giving her emotions away. "What if I don't want to know who it is?"

"What if _we_ do?" Riley ventured, her eyes too drawn to the light like a moth to a flame.

"Why?" she complained.

Everyone ignored her, watching with curious gazes as Farkle plugged in the phone and began dissecting the information that automatically appeared upon the screen. A set of numbers appeared—ones that Maya happily overlooked as she stared at anything else—while her friends murmured amongst themselves about locations and suggestions of transportation.

Seeing that none of them were going to cease their pursuit, Maya groaned loudly and fell onto the couch in an amusing display of histrionics. "I don't want to know!"

"Why not?" Zay inquired, peering at her briefly, before returning his attention to the task at hand.

"Why would I want to know who's been sending me those texts?" She exclaimed incredulously, bolting up to a sitting position, clearly frustrated.

"Because you can exact revenge?" he suggested, before scrambling away from the dangerous looks he received from his other friends.

"Don't give her ideas," Riley whispered, flitting her eyes from Maya to the computer. "You know how she gets."

The blonde rolled her eyes, standing up to physically drive some sense into the group. "I can hear you, I'm two feet away."

"We know." Riley smiled sanguinely, pleased when her statement was met with approving chuckles.

As Maya approached, her eyes finally caught notice of the numbers upon the computer screen and her face paled, contrasting the creamy white of her skin with an eerie translucence. "Farkle."

"Yes?" His eyes remained squinted upon the imagery on the screen, but his head tilted slightly in her direction, meaning she had half of his attention. Which was more than usual.

"Are you sure that's right?"

"Yes, Maya. I'm sure I'm right." He scowled beneath furrowed brows, pushing his space bar rapidly in order to get the computer to follow his desired commands.

"Not you, _it,_ " she snapped, pushing Lucas out of the way to bow her head over the keyboard. He stumbled back passively, but sent her an odd, baffled expression that she readily ignored.

Farkle heaved a rather exaggerated sigh, and relinquished his position over command on the computer. "I'm sure. I built it myself."

"There's no way it can be wrong?"

"For goodness sake—"

Lucas interjected, placing a placating hand on Farkle's shoulder. "Maya, what's wrong?"

Ignoring his comment, she frantically clicked away on the keyboard, fire flashing in her eyes and sparks emitting from their expanse, daring anyone to come into close proximity. Lucas neglected the warning, instead approaching her form with bold calmness as he gently turned her shoulders towards him.

"Maya."

She didn't shift from his eyes, nor did she remove herself from his touch, most surprising to all the room's occupants. Instead they retained eye contact, though Maya's lips proved to be sealed shut, most irritatingly to Lucas.

"Come on, what's wrong?" he inquired, pushing her to open up.

She snuck a glance at the screen, then back at Lucas, then back at the address all typed up in neat rows of block letters. "That address..."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Maya inhaled deeply, now removing herself from Lucas's hands and taking a tentative step backwards as if afraid of an explosive reaction. Instead of its supposed relaxation however, it garnered a far more worried expression from the boy.

"What's going on?" he broached, frustration lacing his tone, threatening to become more.

She looked away. "That's Jazz's address."


	37. After the Storm

_**Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has continued to follow, favorite, and review on this story! It is so appreciated, and your patience is gratefully received!**_

 _ **I apologize extensively for my lack of posting, but again, inspiration has not been my friend. I won't go on and on like I usually do, but I appreciate all of you still reading my story and enjoying it!  
**_

 _ **Please don't forget to review, it truly does help me write faster, even if it takes longer than you may like. :)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Girl Meets World, just the story!**_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven: After the Storm There is More to Be Learned

Maya stood outside the door, taking in the scratched, dented numbers and the brass doorknob that dully reflected her somber expression. It was a simple action, a simple task, and yet her hand refused to budge from its position on her suitcase handle; gripping it like a vice without intention of relinquishing its hold. She wondered just how long she had been truly standing outside the door, gazing at its surface without truly seeing it, her demanding thoughts too muddy to see anything else clearly.

Approaching footsteps, muffled by the dirty, floral carpet adorned with years of stains in a variety of colors, caused her body to tense and she whipped her head towards the sound. A bobbing head of flaming ginger whistled an off-key version of 'The Star Spangled Banner' as he twirled his key on a finger before jamming it into the lock and striding into his apartment.

Maya stared after the space where the intruder was, not because she knew him or was particularly drawn to his former presence, but because the man had so disturbed her silent mentation that she wasn't sure what to do next. Whether it was best to trail back to the beginning of her thoughts, to start completely over and over-analyze them in a typically Riley fashion, or to simply trample her tracks and rush headlong into the situation she was dreading she couldn't decide.

Maya set down her bag, its thin but rough strap digging into her skin and leaving a harsh, scarlet flush on her shoulder. One hand now liberated, she determined to set the other free, but it seemed almost glued to its position stubbornly; almost as if it sensed her reluctance to enter. Perhaps she should listen to it.

But, then a voice that seemed to hold all the being of a person who had been restrained for far too long and was just now being released spoke, and it resonated strongly throughout her being. It echoed and sang, and all of her had to listen. And so she grabbed her bag, lifted the suitcase, and turned the doorknob.

When she entered, it was eerily silent in the house. Maya slid her bag off her shoulder again, glancing about the living room and kitchen with trepidation and with a caution normally attributed to visitors. But then a rustling from the couch caught her attention, and she suddenly found that she could let go of the suitcase handle.

Her mother stood up eagerly, but did not approach; scrutinizing her daughter in the same fashion Maya was regarding her. No verbal exchange was made, but when the elder woman dug her way easily into the younger's eyes, arms were opened and neither hesitated to envelop the other in a fashion that hadn't been as warm in months.

Maya wasn't the first to pull away, but when her mother grasped her hands instead of her arms, she smiled heartily and laughed. "I've only been gone a week and a half, mom."

"But, doesn't it seem so much longer?" She returned the laughter and let go of one of her hands to brush an unobserved tear from her cheek.

Maya swallowed, all mirth suddenly departed with the statement she must make next. Regarding her mother, she could now see the crinkles in between brows and sunken eyes that were still in the nascent stages of being re-lit. They were things she _should_ have seen and hadn't.

"Mom," she began, taking her hand from mother's and sitting on the couch slowly, somehow drawing her mother down with her. "I didn't see."

A puzzlement came upon the latter's eyebrows, and she folded her now absent fingers together. "Didn't see what?"

Maya bit her cheek. "I'm sorry."

An expression of understanding now alighted upon her mother's face, and she tugged Maya towards her, something that surprised the younger ever so slightly. It was distance she expected, not closeness.

"I'm sorry, too," she said softly, once more bewildering her daughter, who tucked her feet underneath her legs. "I didn't make enough effort to help you—and I should have. I tried," she added hurriedly after seeing Maya's stern disapproval. "But, I could have tried harder."

"Mom—"

The elder Hart halted her speech with a quick nudge of her fingers tapping lightly against the other's cheek. "Did you figure something out, Babygirl?"

She quieted her desire for disagreement on her mother's admittance. "Yes," Maya replied quietly, recalling a night full to the brim with sparkling stars and close embraces over disclosures with hot chocolate. "I did."

"I can tell," Katy smiled, clucking her under the chin fondly. "Your eyes are bright, again."

Maya beamed tenderly. "Yours, too."

"Good." was all that was said, but it sent the ocean-blue irises twinkling again, and both pairs seemed to capture the golden light of a setting sun, too picturesque to be quite real.

But it was. And everything appeared oddly perfect, but Maya didn't expect it to disappear this time, because she was going to hold onto it too tightly for it to fade away.

* * *

" _...police are determined to capture whoever is committing these random acts of vandalism, however each art museum they hit is unpredictable and scattered all over New York, making it difficult for authorities to intercept the teenagers. In recent events, the Museum of Modern Art in downtown Chicago was infiltrated just last night; police are still unsure if this development is connected..."_

She was too entranced by the flickering screen to be aware of her surroundings, hands pressed tightly together in a white fist and lips pursed in an anxious pout, demonstrating to anyone about her that her entire body was engaged in whatever emotion took hold. Which was why it took her longer than four seconds to flip the blanket off of her lap and slam the glass of juice she had been drinking onto the scratched coffee table when Lucas snatched the remote from her limp fingers.

Before Maya could even attempt to get up from the couch and grab it from him, he pressed the power button nonchalantly, but all in one steady, calm— _irritating_ —motion.

"Hey!" she protested, finally bolting from her seat to snatch it from his hands (now dangling far out of her reach) as his arm stretched to its full length. "Not fair," she accused, as the remote swung tauntingly three or four feet above her head, oblivious to her intense glare she was directing towards it.

"Well," he retorted snootily, no smile creeping up onto his face as it would have normally. "I don't want to listen to it anymore."

Maya huffed, narrowing her eyes at Lucas. "Then leave," she responded in exasperation, jumping one more time for the remote with no avail. "You won't hear it from your house." Leaving all dignity behind, she grumbled about as she suddenly turned from Lucas and hunted about for a stool, shoving things out the way irritably. He watched her with disinterest, clearly someone quite used to such a display as he slapped the remote against his palm without attention. "That's true," Lucas acknowledged, raising eyebrows as Maya scowled behind the wall, knocking over a book with a heavy thud. "Can you hear me?"

The blonde stuck her head over the corner, all red cheeks and sarcastic smiles. "Yes, Huckleberry. Shut up."

"Wonderful," he ignored characteristically, tired of holding the remote and so setting it down on the top of the couch as Maya continued her search for a stool. "So, I'm not leaving. You invited me over here."

"I know!" She shouted from her bedroom, muttered curses floating towards him as she stepped on every art tool known to man laying on her carpet. "I welcomed you to my home, and all you do is steal my property and withhold it from me."

Lucas chuckled, finally less cold and irritated than he was before. "I haven't stolen anything."

"Close...enough," Maya puffed, sounding as if she was moving something rather heavy across the floor. Suddenly, silence filled the apartment and he heard her scowl. "Can you just give me back the remote?"

"Give up?"

Maya emerged from her room, stalking down the hallway with arms folded across her chest. "Stop smiling," she demanded.

Lucas shrugged, grinning, but it widened into an expanse of loud laughter as Maya spotted the remote on the couch, sprang for it, and lost it as he grabbed the device, raising it high once more.

"Lucas!" she screeched, scrambling up on the cushions and springing for his back. "Just give it to me." He shook his head solemnly. "Is this some sort of joke to you?" she demanded, surveying his demeanor with boiling anger as she sank back into the couch. Maya expected to find irritation, but what she perceived didn't shock her or give her any clues as to why he was taunting her. It was odd: usually his emotions were written in stone, chiseled letters that read clear and extensive.

Instead, Lucas was positioned as if frozen in marble, features etched into a cold frown, almost deep enough to be actually icy to the touch. A curiosity to see if this was true sprang up in her like a probing flower bursting through soil, but she shoved it back down, still determined to be quiet and figure out his reasons on her own. Maya was turning over a new leaf; she was going to be silent, watchful, and patient. Or at least that's what she had told herself last night before Lucas had irritated her.

And as she scanned his form, it suddenly dawned upon her as she re-evaluated the situation. She had been watching a police report, something that connected to Jazz and their previous mishaps that seemed to bother Lucas extremely.

"You already know I'm going to see her," Maya blurted out, not quite patient enough to remain tranquil and refuse to make ripples with her blunt statement, ever remaining the rock thrown onto the surface of the pond.

His face darkened as expected, so she was also prepared for the sort of thing he would say next. "No, you're not."

"You're not in charge of me, Ranger Rick," the blonde reminded gently, appealing to his positive approval of "kind words turn away anger" or something along those lines.

Lucas's face did soften, still frustrated, but too pleased at her attempt to suppress his silent commendation. "Someone has to be," he reminded.

"Yes, and that would be my mother."

"But, as friends, we are accountable to one another." Lucas seemed almost too insist on this point, and it was here that Maya realized that she needed to probe farther on the subject he would never talk about or allow her to do herself (hence the removal of the remote from her hand).

She peeled herself from the couch and took a seat on one of the stools adjacent to the kitchen counter. He turned towards her, expression still guarded and hand still clenched about the remote. Any other time, she might have left it alone or waited until he hinted at being approachable, but the new Maya was adopting a formerly irritating Riley characteristic. Nosiness and pushing.

"Why does this bother you so much, Huckleberry?" she queried, making her tone light and soft; an interesting way to break his defenses, but after all it was the golden rays of sun that melted the sparkling, white snow in the spring.

Lucas looked down at his hands, calloused and strong—nothing interesting or unfamiliar, just a common excuse for not meeting her eyes. "Why doesn't it bother you?"

Maya sighed, taking in a deep breath and tapping her fingers on the granite counters to the melody she had learned on the guitar yesterday. "I never said it didn't," she began reluctantly, even more so when it peaked her friend's interest. "But more so now than it did last week." Lucas nodded, but she knew that was the only form of communication she was going to get for now, so she continued reluctantly. "However, I need to address it and move on. I want to fix what we did, and I want to confront the person who hurt me."

"I get it," he interjected hurriedly, eager now that he had a convincing point. "But that's not always the best idea. Sometimes it helps, but other times you'll just dig yourself a deeper hole, and you and I have the same problem."

"Yes," Maya admitted, flicking her gaze from her fingers to his eyes almost shyly. She wondered briefly if he could tell she was unsure of how to convince him or could see the anger in her eyes that she was trying to hide. "But, I'm different now, remember?"

Lucas smiled in an almost melancholy fashion; lips quirked half-way, not reaching his eyes. "You can't change that quickly, Maya."

A slight irritation sprung to the surface and she let it, hurt that he didn't believe she was trying or succeeding in her attempt at becoming better. Because she truly was this time, and it wasn't easy. So maybe she needed validation, which could be regarded as petty or selfish, but she was struggling for something she wanted. And she needed people to recognize it.

"Not with everything, but some things. And if I don't try at all, then I'm never going to completely overcome it, am I?" she asked, slightly harsher than she meant to, but clearly adamant and firm.

Lucas was obviously surprised at her stern reproval of his words, but all the more intrigued by the idea that she actually meant to change and shift what was once negative into something positive. And it was this that gave him the incentive to release what he had been disclosing for the last couple of months.

"No," he agreed. "Look, it's not just me trying to protect you from seeing Jazz or affiliating yourself with her, though be aware it is a huge portion of it." Lucas paused, hunting for the right words in the jumbled mess he was sifting through. "I'm supposed to be 'Mr. Perfect' to you. To all of us, to Riley and Farkle and Zay. I tried to leave behind who I was in Texas, not just because of one big mistake I made that affected my life in a huge way, but because of everything else that I was."

Maya tilted her head, lips parted as she watched him visibly struggle to continue, realizing that what he was saying was something he had never spoken aloud before and it silenced any words that wanted to combat with his. "What do you mean?" was all she allowed herself to utter, and even that she was loathe to add.

"I was angry, I was—" Lucas hesitated, eyes fading into a distant haze that suggested at thoughts spinning about in a dizzy carousel of memories. "I was lost in an idea that I clung to because I thought it was true and right, even though it wasn't. I think you understand that." His eyes were still cloudy, so she didn't acknowledge the address. "But it affected my life so much, that when I came to New York I tried to completely throw it away to become better, someone who could never have been connected to the person I was before."

Lucas finally saw her again, clouds drifting from a stormy, green sea that twirled with fragments of things he wanted her to know. "And that's why I feel like because I did what I did, even though I did it to protect you, I somehow broke that wall I've built and let that person come back. And if I don't seal the connection, all of him will seep through and I won't be able to push him back out again."

Maya sat back, lost in a twister of sudden information and words she should say in response to it. Her friend sat in the midst of the storm, guilty eyes and slumped shoulders, watching her as if she could calm the tornado for him. And she would, or at least try, because it was he did every time she or one of their friends was stuck in their own maelstrom.

"That's why you want to sever the ties between Jazz and me too, isn't it?" He nodded slightly, verbally unsure and unstable. "Lucas," she leaned forward and looked deeply into his eyes, feeling odd and bold with the sudden reversal of familiar roles. "You're not whoever you were back in Texas, and you won't be again. You're too involved with all of us for that to happen," she chuckled in the pause. "And besides, whatever you've learned from the last couple of years isn't going to leave you all of a sudden. You know how I know that? Because how in the world would I be here, after a whole six months of awful, terrible mistakes, and still have you as my friend? I wouldn't," Maya confirmed. "And neither would you."

It was silent for a moment, but the lull produced what she had hoped: Lucas's worries drifting away like a forgotten balloon, and his confidence returning both visibly and inwardly.

"Thanks," he finally replied softly, eyes never leaving her face. "I don't suppose that I can still convince you not to go?"

Maya laughed, silence and seriousness now broken, releasing the eye contact. "No, because if you don't take what you know and learn from it, then you're never going to be the better person. You'll just stay rooted in the same spot forever." Her eyes drifted to the remote, but she didn't reach for it. "Because that's where I was; stuck in the same pattern for months. All because I didn't try."

She looked up and discovered that Lucas's eyes hadn't left her face. "All that's left to do is ask if you're going to come with me."

"You know I was going to anyway."

"Yes," Maya affirmed, smile fading slightly as more thoughts assuaged her conscious. "But how am I going to handle the whole situation is still a mystery."

Lucas smirked. "You mean how are you not going to kill your cousin?"

She sighed, finally grabbing the remote triumphantly before he could slide it farther away. "Yes, that."

"Easy," he answered causally. "I kill her for you."


End file.
